Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says we shouldn’t be “afraid” of the return of Donald Trump and his government appointees, even though many of them have held hostile remarks against Justin Trudeau and his government.
“We can have differences and at the same time have effective, fruitful, respectful relationships,” said M.me Freeland, who heads “Team Canada”, set up to prepare the country for the Trump administration.
In a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Mr.me Freeland, also Minister of Finance, explained how economic relations between the two countries result in a “win-win” relationship.
The nature of this relationship could, however, change when Donald Trump takes power on January 20.
The context is different from that of 2016: former President Trump will return to power with a strong mandate, while, on this side of the border, the Trudeau government is weakened and polls predict a crushing defeat in the next elections.
What’s more, nearly a dozen people appointed this week to the highest levels of government by Donald Trump have already made openly hostile remarks towards the prime minister.
This is the case of billionaire Elon Musk, who openly wants Justin Trudeau to be replaced. Yesterday he was named responsible for cuts in the US federal bureaucracy. He will work in concert with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, for whom Justin Trudeau is a “puppet of the global elite”.
Other people appointed by Mr. Trump, including Mike Huckabee, Kristi Noem, Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz, have already attacked Justin Trudeau either in speeches or in publications on social networks.
Things accelerated today.
Moments before Chrystia Freeland spoke in Ottawa, Donald Trump announced other appointments, including that of Tulsi Gabbard, a military veteran and former elected official from Hawaii who will take over the head of the intelligence services, a very powerful.
In a passionate speech in 2022, the latter attacked the management of the “freedom convoy” by Justin Trudeau, calling the use of the Emergency Measures Act a “truly authoritarian and tyrannical” gesture that should fear the Americans.
Chrystia Freeland remained impassive.
“This is an election with serious consequences for the United States, for the world and for Canada. We are ready to respond to these consequences, we understand that there are challenges, but we also understand that there will be opportunities,” she said.
One of the keys for Canada in the coming years: “I am completely convinced that the best way to find a win-win result is not to be afraid.”
