Canadian Liberals are struggling to fill the power vacuum left by the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, using tough talk to convince voters that the party will fight against the US president-elect in a potential tariff and border security clash. Can stand in front of Donald Trump.
Trudeau announced He resigned on January 6, using a trick called “prorogation” to force the legislature out of session, so he could remain as a lame-duck “caretaker” prime minister until March.
A major reason for Trudeau losing the confidence of the Liberal Party was his struggle to handle the incoming US president. Trudeau was already unpopular among the public for many reasons, and his unpopularity dragged his party down for some reasons painful Special election defeat, but the last straw for many of his liberal colleagues was Trump’s election.
Trudeau tried his best to talk tough Interview with MSNBC on Sunday, assuring viewers that Canada does not want a trade fight with the Trump administration, but that Canada is prepared for an uproar if Trump follows through on his tariff threats.
“As we did last time, we stand ready to respond with tariffs as necessary. We are the number one export partner to approximately 35 different US states, and anything that thickens the border between us costs American citizens and American jobs,” he said.
Trudeau also stressed that Canada is doing a good job on border security despite Trump’s allegations.
“Less than 1% of illegal immigrants, less than 1% of the fentanyl coming into the United States comes from Canada. So we are not a problem. We have indeed responded to their request to do more with billions of dollars of investment to further strengthen the security of our borders,” he said.
Trudeau’s Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie, made a noise The United States has threatened to restrict Canadian energy imports if Trump imposes tariffs.
“What I can tell you is that everything is on the table,” Jolie told CTV Sunday morning.
Jolie’s threat was quickly dismissed by Danielle Smith, the premier of the oil-rich Alberta province, who said her administration “will not support a tariff war with our largest trading partner and closest ally.”
After Trump’s visit, Smith said, “The government of Alberta believes the way to strengthen this relationship is to double our oil production and increase crude oil exports to the U.S., giving them even greater access to the rest of the world.” Can export light oil. Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida to meet the President-elect.
Smith said he had a “constructive conversation” with the returning US president and was confident that “diplomacy” would be more effective than confrontation with Trump.
“The United States and Canada are both proud and free nations with one of the most important security alliances on earth and the largest economic partnership in history. We need to preserve our independence while building on this important partnership for the benefit of Canadians and Americans for generations to come,” she said.
Other prime ministers have been more inclined toward confrontation, perhaps of more interest to an audience of Canadian voters than Trump. For example, Doug Ford of Ontario, suggested Cutting electricity exports to Michigan, Wisconsin and New York State – an idea that Smith not only dismissed as a “non-starter”, but publicly told Ford to “walk back”.
“I think it is very dangerous to even talk about energy cuts. Wars have started over this type of conversation,” Smith Said In December, Ford proposed shutting down the power. Until last week, Ford was are talking About this Increasing power exports to the US, in the hope that Trump might see the value of a “renewed strategic alliance” that could help Trump meet his economic and security policy goal of “decoupled” from China.
Ford has not yet secured a meeting with Trump, while Smith has invited In his second inauguration ceremony, a clear signal was sent about the president-elect’s preference for diplomacy rather than confrontation.
Former US Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman told globe and mail Canada’s provincial officials are basically making foreign policy on their own, he said Monday, as there is no longer a strong hand at the helm in Ottawa.
Heyman said, “We’ll see how effective it is, but obviously I think having a team on one side and communicating together and staying on message is much more effective than separate, independent ideas.” “
globe and mail noted that some Canadian prime ministers seem eager to address Trump’s concerns over border security and fentanyl, rather than arrogantly shrug off their concerns like Trudeau. The prime ministers hope that in return Trump can exempt them from whatever tariffs he wants to impose.
Thus, Alberta is establishing a “red zone” to observe suspicious traffic on the Montana border, Ontario is sending provincial police officers to increase the presence of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on its long border with the US. There has been, and Manitoba is asking its wildlife conservation officers to keep an eye on illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.
