Trump presidency | Trudeau meets the committee responsible for Canada-U.S. relations

(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participated in a virtual meeting of the cabinet committee responsible for Canada-U.S. relations on Friday, as people inside and outside the Liberal caucus called for his resignation.

The committee met in anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Mr. Trump has promised to implement tariffs of 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports unless both countries meet his demand to strengthen border security.

He also taunted Mr. Trudeau on social media, suggesting that Canada should become 51^e American state and calling the Prime Minister a governor, arguing that the United States subsidizes Canada through its trade relations.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office explained that Justin Trudeau was not an official member of the United States-Canada Relations Committee, but his presence highlights the importance of the committee’s work to protect the interests Canadians.

The committee was made up of different members and leaders after the cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Chrystia Freeland. The new Minister of Public Safety, David McGuinty, is now a member of the committee, and the Minister of Finance, Dominic LeBlanc, replaces Mr.^me Freeland for president.

Mr. Trudeau and Mr. LeBlanc traveled to Florida on November 30 to meet with Mr. Trump, and several of his top cabinet ministers met with the president-elect’s team last Friday.

Elizabeth May attacked Trump

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May took aim at the incoming Trump administration Friday morning, stressing that Canada will never become 51^e État.

“Honestly, President Trump, get used to this,” Mr.^me May at a news conference, hoping she would be seen as hostile to the Trump administration.

“We love our country. And it is a country. It is a nation. And we don’t aspire to be the 51^e State. So let’s not hear any more about it. If it was a joke, it was never funny, and it stops now,” she added.

Although she doubts that her comments will be seen by Donald Trump himself, M^me May believes many Canadians want to hear the country’s leaders be more explicit in their rejection of the current narrative of Canada’s membership in the United States.

The leader of the Green Party cited as an example a column published earlier this week by former Liberal MP Clifford Lincoln.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also rejected the idea before the holidays.

Trudeau under pressure

After the committee meeting, the Prime Minister visited the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa and signed a book of condolences for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100 on December 29 . He did not speak to the media at the event and has no other public events scheduled for Friday.

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Trudeau continues to face pressure to resign as Liberal leader. They have been incessant since the resignation of Chrystia Freeland as Minister of Finance last month.

Before the holiday break, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told The Canadian Press that Mr. Trudeau was taking time to think about his political future.

Justin Trudeau has not spoken about Chrystia Freeland’s resignation or her future since December 16. His last public statement was on Dec. 20, after a meeting of his recently reshuffled cabinet, when he spoke about the threat of U.S. tariffs.

Liberal MP Ben Carr joined calls for a new leadership of the party on Friday.

“I don’t make this decision easily nor do I take it with pleasure. Far from it,” said Mr. Carr in an open letter to his constituents in the riding of Winnipeg–South Centre.

“It is the culmination of daily conversations with constituents, supporters, mentors, friends and colleagues over an extended period of time, resulting in a clear conviction that it is time for change,” he said. -he added.

Questions about Justin Trudeau’s leadership within the party come as opposition parties work to oust the Liberal government from power altogether.

The Conservatives plan to bring a motion of no confidence to a House of Commons committee next week, which could potentially trigger an election if it passes a House vote. This vote could take place as early as January 30.

The Bloc Québécois and the NDP have both stressed that they are in favor of overthrowing the minority Liberal government.

Julien Newman, a former NDP staffer under leader Thomas Mulcair, is circulating a petition among NDP supporters asking Mr. Singh to vote against the government before February 25, the day he will be eligible for his pension. MP. The Conservatives attacked the NDP for supporting the Liberals, accusing Jagmeet Singh of wanting to wait until he was eligible for his pension before calling an election.

Mr Newman said his petition had already garnered more than 1,000 signatures and he was looking for an MP to present it to the House of Commons.

Jagmeet Singh declared on December 20 that the NDP would present a motion of no confidence as soon as possible, regardless of who led the Liberal party.

When asked Friday whether she thought an election should be called as soon as possible to secure a new mandate to deal with the incoming Trump administration, Elizabeth May said she did not think Canadians should go to the polls so early.

“What happens with an election is that there is only a gatekeeper role for whatever government is in place during the time that the Donald Trump White House is being formed.” , she emphasized.

“Does our country function better dealing with a newly inaugurated President Trump if we are in the middle of an election? Probably not,” she added.

With information from Nick Murray