Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is meeting with provincial and territorial premiers Wednesday to talk Canada-U.S. relations, marking their first such huddle since Trudeau鈥檚 dinner at incoming U.S. president Donald Trump鈥檚 Mar-a-Lago estate.
The premiers will meet virtually and discuss a plan to tackle Trump鈥檚 threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.
鈥淲e have to have a strategy that serves Canadians. There鈥檚 no room for freelancing here,鈥� said Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I think the meeting that鈥檚 happening today is extremely important.鈥�
He was one of a handful of Liberal MPs to carefully comment outside of the party鈥檚 Wednesday caucus meeting.
鈥淲e need a co-ordinated, coherent approach to the challenge that is Donald Trump,鈥� said John MacKay. 鈥淯nited we stand, divided we fall.鈥�
The first ministers鈥� meeting comes just a day after Trump launched more jibes at Trudeau on social media by calling him governor of 鈥渢he great state of Canada鈥� 鈥� a nod to his ribbing that he might just have Canada join the U.S. as its 51st state.
Lawmakers are days away from starting an extended winter holiday break, but when MPs return to Parliament in January, it will be after the presidential inauguration 鈥� making Trump鈥檚 social media taunts and threats all the more serious.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in the face of that, the government needs to strike the right tone.
鈥淭his is the first inning. Yeah, sure, there鈥檚 some goofy stuff going on, there鈥檚 some shenanigans, but we have to be serious about this. Canadians expect their government to be serious about the border, about making sure Canadians are safe and secure,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 be arguing against ourselves and at cross -purposes, I think that鈥檚 really important,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ecause anything the U.S. does impacts Canada so severely, this isn鈥檛 the time for partisanship.鈥�
Canada has vowed to beef up border security in the face of Trump鈥檚 threats, despite a lack of evidence for his claims about illicit fentanyl pouring into the U.S. from Canada.
Liberal MP Sean Casey said it鈥檚 not a problem if it appears Canada is bending to Trump鈥檚 pressure.
鈥淲hether it looks like we鈥檙e caving to his demands is completely irrelevant,鈥� he said as he also headed into the caucus meeting. 鈥淚f his demands are aligned with the best interest of Canada, the perception of the relationship doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥�
Wednesday鈥檚 high-level meeting also comes days before Ontario Premier Doug Ford hosts the fall premiers鈥� meeting in Mississauga, which lasts Sunday through Monday.
