Former PM Stephen Harper the latest to rip into Trump for 51st state comment

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper hopes Donald Trump is joking.

But, if the US president-elect is serious about making Canada the 51st state, Canada has to act quickly and decisively to protect its sovereignty.

"I think most Canadians are continuing to hope that Mr. Trump is joking," said the former Conservative prime minister on the Standpoint with Gabe Groisman podcast this week.

""But, if the United States actually threatens the sovereignty and independence of Canada, Mr. Poilievre (the Conservative party leader Harper assumes will be the next prime minister of Canada) will be forced to take a very different approach to Canada's place in the world. I don't think that the American people are hostile to Canada or want to see Canada conquered or, as Mr. Trump said, forced economically to join the United States. I just don't think that's an agenda."

Standpoint is the weekly podcast about world politics with host Gabe Groisman, a former mayor of Bal Harbour, Florida, a lawyer and a government affairs consultant.

Harper told Groisman that Canada wants to be friends with the US, not annexed.

"Yeah, Gabe, just to be clear, we want to be a partner. We are a partner. We are a friend and an ally," said Harper.

"But, we are an independent sovereign nation. And where Mr. Trump is wrong: there's almost nobody in Canada who wants to change that. We have our own culture, our own history. We're very proud of it. Very proud of our relationship with the United States. But, we are Canadian, not American. And we want to be friends, not annexed."

Over the weekend, another former prime minister -- Liberal Jean Chretien -- told Trump "give you head a shake" in an open letter re: the US president-elect's 51st state comment.

Our current prime minister -- Liberal Justin Trudeau -- has called Trump's talk of annexing Canada as a distraction from all of Trump's other controversies.

Las Vegas-style oddsmakers have determined while Canada joining the US is theoretically possible, it's highly unlikely.

According to most media coverage and social media chatter, most Canadians, most Americans and most other people around the globe don't want Canada to become the 51st US state.