The premiers of the provinces and territories are meeting in Toronto until Monday to discuss relations between Canada and the United States, as the specter of Donald Trump is felt on this side of the border.
President-elect threatens to impose 25% tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico unless both countries act to stop the influx ofillegal immigrants
and fentanyl.
Relations between the two countries will be on the agenda of the prime ministers’ talks at this meeting of the Council of the Federation.
Reply to Trump?
However, there is dissension within the provinces regarding the strategy to adopt in the face of the sword of Damocles which hangs over the Canadian economy.
While the Prime Minister of Ontario, Doug Ford, favors a hard line – he proposed cutting off energy to the Americans – his Quebec counterpart, François Legault, thinks that we must aim more to appease Donald Trump as for immigrants crossing from Canada to the United States.
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Prime Ministers Doug Ford, Tim Houston and François Legault do not agree on how to respond to Donald Trump’s threats.
Photo: The Canadian Press / Darren Calabrese
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta will not end oil and gas exports under any circumstances. Ms. Smith indicated that she strongly preferred the approach diplomatic
.
The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Andrew Furey, is also against Doug Ford’s idea.
In interview at CBCSaskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has indicated he does not want Canada to impose tariffs in response to Trump’s threat.
British Columbia Premier David Eby, for his part, has not ruled out the idea of a tariff retaliation against the United States, according to the public broadcaster.
The federal government has already indicated that it intends to respond if the president-elect carries out his threat.
Provincial and territorial leaders are scheduled to have dinner together on Sunday evening. A press briefing is planned for Monday at 2 p.m.
Canada
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