(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday congratulated United States President-elect Donald Trump on his “decisive victory,” saying he looked forward to working with him again. His Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, for her part, wanted to be reassuring to Canadians “worried” about this outcome.
Posted at 7:31 a.m.
Updated at 1:07 p.m.
“I want to congratulate Donald Trump on his election. It was a decisive victory, and I look forward to working with him to deliver for Canadians and for Americans,” the Prime Minister said during a brief press scrum on Wednesday.
“Four years ago, we worked together to bring more prosperity and more stability to a very complex world, and we know that over the past four years, the world has become even more difficult and more complex,” he said. he continued.
“As a government, we have been preparing for this possibility for a long time, and we are ready […] We are going to start fully engaging again with Donald’s team to ensure that we are building a better world,” he added before turning on his heel without answering questions.
PHOTO BLAIR GABLE, REUTERS
Justin Trudeau
The Prime Minister’s Office has not yet provided information on when a call might take place between the two men.
Freeland and Champagne call for calm
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who led the renegotiation of NAFTA with the first Trump administration, also congratulated the Republican candidate on his re-election to the White House. However, she agreed that the return of Donald Trump could be a source of concern for some.
“I know many Canadians are worried, have been this week, and overnight. And I want to tell Canadians with great sincerity and confidence: Canada will get through this. We have a strong relationship with the United States and a strong relationship with President Trump and his team,” she said.
However, it is true that this is a “moment of great change for the world, let’s be honest,” said the woman who is also Minister of Finance, without answering the questions either. We will have to wait before knowing how the Liberals would react to the imposition of tariffs planned by Donald Trump.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, would not say whether Canada would also respond with 10% customs duties. “The inauguration is January 20, so we still have weeks ahead of us. But what matters is that the relationships we have built now, these relationships will bear fruit,” he said, taking care to specify that he had already had contact by text message early Wednesday. morning with members of Trump’s team.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne
I think now we have moved from being the friendly northern neighbor to being a strategic partner that they understand.
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Strategic for critical minerals and semiconductors in the energy sector.
“I think that more and more in the United States, we are looking at the question of transition [énergétique] as a question of safety, noted the Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault. China controls more than 90% of the components, microchips, critical minerals and the United States, the Europeans, the Japanese want to free themselves from this dependence on China. »
He also expects many U.S. senators and congressional representatives to pressure the new administration to maintainInflation Reduction Act (IRA) for the fight against climate change and the energy transition.
“When we look at the investments that have been made within the framework of the IRA, the majority of these investments are made in Republican states,” he argued.
Donald Trump had promised to cancel the subsidies that have not yet been paid, which could have an impact in Canada on the federal sums planned for the Northvolt factory in Quebec. Ottawa was committed to matching them as long as this American legislation was in force.
Minister Champagne did not want to come forward. “We are not there yet,” he said.
Ukrainian uncertainties
For her part, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said she had spoken with some of her counterparts, notably those from Ukraine. The course of this war which will soon reach its 1000the day has become even more uncertain with the return of Donald Trump.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly
“Canada is a country that understands the United States very well. And what I’m seeing right now is that a lot of our allies and friends are reaching out to us asking us to help them understand what’s going on in the United States,” she said.
“I am ready to offer this expertise, I am ready to ensure that we strengthen our alliance [l’OTAN] and to help our friends get through certain geopolitical turbulence,” explained the head of Canadian diplomacy.
Conservative silence
Entering or leaving the weekly Conservative caucus meeting, not a single MP or senator stopped to comment on President Trump’s victory. “No comment,” offered one of the most talkative of the group.
Chef Pierre Poilievre, however, sent his good wishes to the 47 on Wednesdaye president on the X network.
“Congratulations to Donald J. Trump on his election as 47e president of the United States. The United States is our best friend and most important trading partner, and I will work with the President for the good of both countries. My mission: save our jobs,” he wrote.
Abortion, an electoral issue?
Throughout the election evening (and night), the CNN network broadcast several poll results which placed the issue of abortion quite far behind those of the economy, democracy and even immigration.
However, Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz made it a major issue during the electoral campaign, seeing it as a divisive issue. No matter: the Liberals intend to continue to talk about it at length.
“We will see what the election will bring us, but we will continue to defend women’s rights. We will continue to defend access to abortion,” argued the co-president of the national campaign, Soraya Martinez Ferrada.
“I think that here in Canada, when you look at women’s concern about the issue of abortion, that concern is real. I continue to think that here, in Canada, there is a real issue regarding abortion,” the minister also argued.
