There was a time, not so long ago, when Canadian politicians boasted about their liberal, free-trade convictions.

In 2007, Stephen Harper’s first industry minister was Maxime Bernier, now leader of the People’s Party of Canada. He recounted with relish how he lost hundreds of new jobs for his riding in Beauce, Que. after a local bicycle factory owner asked him to impose tariffs on cheap Chinese imports that were undercutting his product.