Return of Trump: Justin Trudeau sets his “Team Canada” in motion

In anticipation of Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House in January, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the formation of his “Team Canada”, made up of ministers on the most difficult issues in the Canadian-American relationship.

“Team Canada” is another name for what is actually a cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations. A first meeting is planned for tomorrow morning.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was named captain, whose work as a balancing act during negotiations with the first Trump administration had been appreciated in Ottawa.

Players already on the ice

M^me Freeland said he spoke with former Trump administration trade official Robert Lighthizer on Election Day.

Already Thursday, M^me Freeland traveled to the Toronto area to speak with the president and CEO of a major American steel producer, Cleveland-Cliffs, which has just acquired Canadian Stelco.

She also spoke with executives from Ontario automakers, who could be among the first to suffer from new tariffs.

The slogan she has continued to send to Canadians since Wednesday: “Everything is going to be fine.”

Justin Trudeau himself spent part of the day on the phone. He discussed the US election and the war in Ukraine with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

For her part, Minister Mélanie Joly spoke with senator and Mr. Trump loyalist Lindsey Graham. She also spoke with her counterparts from Ukraine, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. These countries rely, among others, on Canada to understand what is happening among our neighbors, said a Global Affairs source.

Mr. Trudeau and Mr.^me Joly was also scheduled to meet with leaders of the African Union in Toronto.

The other parties on the attack

On the national level, the liberals must also work to neutralize the opposition parties on the American question.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has unearthed an angle of attack against Justin Trudeau: he accuses his government of having “capitulated” against American trade threats by allowing the protectionist “Buy American” plan adopted by Joe Biden to pass.

The Bloc Québécois, for its part, wants to know Ottawa’s plan in the event of an increase in asylum seekers crossing the Canadian-American border. He wants the government to increase the presence of police officers along the border, which Ottawa has not wanted to follow up on.