Peter MacKay is Counsel at McInnes Cooper, working with business and public sector leaders within and outside of Atlantic Canada. He served in Parliament for more than 18 years as a cabinet minister in high-profile portfolios, including Justice and Attorney General, Defence, Foreign Affairs and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. He chaired the government national security committee for almost 10 years. MacKay started his legal career in Nova Scotia as a Crown Prosecutor and worked as a general practitioner before entering politics.

With expertise in the geopolitical shift currently taking place, he spoke about why he describes 2025 as turbulent.

M&W: How would you describe 2025 in one word? Why?

PM: Turbulent. Starting with the continued grinding conflict in Ukraine and Russia’s illegal & brutal assault; the simmering tensions in the straits of Taiwan and China’s menacing actions in the Asia Pacific and beyond; the fragile, volatile situation in the Middle East, Africa and so many other regions; prolific cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure; the coming apart of trading alliances and inward-looking irrational politics and policies of the United States; threats to Canadian sovereignty and the increasing vulnerability of the Arctic and our internal waters; growing internal divisions among Canadian communities and regions; unbalanced immigration policies out of step with our capacity; financial uncertainty and a generation facing debt and inflation and possible recession; an energy corridor/pipeline infrastructure gap that limits our path to prosperity – all leave Canada on edge and limiting our potential for growth unseen in the last 50 years.

M&W: What is the one thing Canadians should be looking for in 2026?

PM: Action to address the moribund economic circumstances.

M&W: Which underrated public policy should governments address to grow the economy in 2026? Why?

PM: Lack of coherent natural resource policies plaguing our economy for the last decade. Without ability to get products like critical minerals, energy, agriculture, wood to market, our ability to achieve growth is impossible.

M&W: What is the best economic or public policy book of the year?

PM: Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk by Darrell Bricker & John Ibbitson

M&W: What is keeping you up at night?

PM: Concern for the future of my children, everybody's children, in such a turbulent time.