Canada as the 51st American state | Federal ministers downplay Donald Trump’s idea

(Ottawa) Federal ministers took turns on Tuesday downplaying the idea that would have been mentioned by the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, during dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada could become the 51^e American state.

“During a three-hour dinner at a residence, [durant la] long American Thanksgiving weekend, there were sure to be moments of jokes. The president told jokes. The Prime Minister responded. It was still a social evening,” declared Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc upon his arrival at the cabinet meeting.

Mr. LeBlanc explained that the meal – which he described at one point as a “meeting” – of course made it possible to address “serious issues”, including the border and trade between Canada and the United States. . “But the fact that the relationship is cordial, warm, that we were able to tell jokes during a three-hour dinner, is still positive,” he continued.

According to Fox News, joining the United States could be, according to the president-elect, a solution for Canada in the event that the imposition of customs duties for not having resolved trade and immigration problems greatly affects the economy Canadian.

Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez-Ferrada said that although the two countries have a very integrated economic relationship, “from there to going that far, I don’t think anyone takes it seriously.”

A few moments later, his colleague Minister of Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, sent that he is “very proud to be Canadian like all Canadians”.

Mr. Champagne maintained that Prime Minister Trudeau was the first G7 leader to be welcomed by President Trump. “I think it’s really important. This demonstrates the strategic nature of our relations,” he said.

Called in turn to comment, Justin Trudeau’s political lieutenant for Quebec, Jean-Yves Duclos, reiterated that the two men had “an excellent meeting” which allowed them to get to know each other better and prepare for the return to the Mr. Trump’s White House.

As for the fact that the Conservatives believe that this news demonstrates that Mr. Trudeau took part in a “dinner of idiots,” Mr. Duclos retorts that their leader Pierre Poilievre “undermines Canada’s efforts” and that the “noise” that he fact is “totally counterproductive”.

In Quebec, the Parti Québécois spokesperson for international relations, Pascal Paradis, found it “interesting” to note that Minister LeBlanc “boasts and tells lots of anecdotes about what happened during this dinner – there, but do not mention this one if, in fact, it was said.

“I hope this is not how we are viewed by the president-elect in the United States,” he added.

Donald Trump threatened a week ago to impose tariffs of 25% on imports of Canadian and Mexican products if the two countries do not do more to stem the illegal passage of people and drugs across the borders.

What followed was a commotion that led the provincial premiers and Mr. Trudeau to hold an emergency meeting, then to Mr. Trudeau to go to Florida to have dinner with Mr. Trump at his residence from Mar-a-Lago.

With information from Émilie Bergeron, The Canadian Press