Unity among provinces and the federal government is critical in the face of the grave challenge posed by the threat of massive new import tariffs from Canada91裸聊视频檚 closest trading partner, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday following an emergency first ministers91裸聊视频� meeting.
The premiers met virtually Wednesday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with Freeland, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn. The meeting came just 48 hours after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump said he will impose punishing new taxes on all Canadian and Mexican imports the same day he is sworn into office in January.
Trump said he will keep the tariffs in place until both countries move to stem the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 want to minimize for a moment the gravity of the challenge we now face,91裸聊视频� Freeland told reporters on Parliament Hill, shortly after the meeting ended.
She said Canadians should have confidence that while Canada depends on the United States, 91裸聊视频渢he United States also depends on us.91裸聊视频�
She said that the way to meet the challenge successfully is by presenting a united front 91裸聊视频渆specially when it comes to our conversations with our American neighbours.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淣ow is really a moment for us not to squabble amongst ourselves,91裸聊视频� Freeland said.
She said she felt there was an agreement around the table that it was the time for 91裸聊视频渆veryone to play for Team Canada91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� but that unity was already being tested as Freeland spoke.
Premier Doug Ford, who chairs the premiers91裸聊视频� council, put out a statement following the meeting that accused the federal government of being flat-footed in the face of Trump91裸聊视频檚 threat. He said Ontario has pushed Ottawa for months 91裸聊视频渢o show that Canada understands, cares and is responsive to U.S. security and economic concerns.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淒uring this evening91裸聊视频檚 meeting, I stressed that the federal government has been slow to react and is stuck on its back foot,91裸聊视频� said Ford, who joined the meeting from Toronto.
91裸聊视频淚 expressed my hope that this evening91裸聊视频檚 meeting is the start of a more proactive approach from the federal government, including by showing that it takes the security of our border seriously by cracking down on illegal border crossings and stopping the transport of guns and illegal and illicit drugs like fentanyl, or risk the economic chaos of Trump tariffs.91裸聊视频�
Earlier in the day, Ford said there was not enough funding to properly police the border.
Ford said he met with officials from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canada Border Services Agency and Ontario Provincial Police ahead of the meeting.
LeBlanc, whose portfolio includes the Canada Border Services Agency, said the RCMP meets weekly with American law enforcement agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
LeBlanc said there are conversations about additional resources for the border, and said he would hope that no party in Parliament would block any kind of spending bill to pay for those resources.
LeBlanc was referring to the ongoing stalemate in the House of Commons as the Conservatives prevent debate on most legislation until the Liberals provide unredacted documents on allegations of misspending at a now-defunct federal green technology fund.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said that during the meeting, he discussed strengthening federal investment in the RCMP in Manitoba and law enforcement generally.
91裸聊视频淭he point that I made to the prime minister and the premiers on the call is, listen, Manitobans have long been talking about drugs being an issue in our communities. This is going back many years,91裸聊视频� Kinew said.
91裸聊视频淎nd so, what91裸聊视频檚 the downside if we invest in law enforcement and we crack down on drug trafficking here, at a time when that message might be well received in the (United States)?91裸聊视频�
Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault said he asked Trudeau for a plan to secure the borders, but came out of the meeting without a 91裸聊视频渃lear answer.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 clearly asked Mr. Trudeau to submit a detailed plan to better secure the borders, to avoid Mr. Trump91裸聊视频檚 25 per cent tariff,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 get a clear answer, but we hope (for it) because there was support from other premiers as well,91裸聊视频� he said.
He added: 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think it91裸聊视频檚 time to play at, 91裸聊视频業s it true or not that our borders aren91裸聊视频檛 secure.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
In a statement issued after the meeting, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called for the federal government and provinces bordering the United States 91裸聊视频渢o take immediate steps to crack down heavily on these illegal border activities.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 communicated this very clearly to the prime minister, and further indicated that Alberta will be acting urgently and decisively to patrol our own shared border with Montana, with more details to be announced soon in that regard.91裸聊视频�
The premiers had requested a meeting on Monday, before Trump issued his tariff threat.
University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe authored a study this fall with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce examining what that could cost Canada. After running the numbers this week for 25 per cent tariffs, he posted on social media that it would cause a recession.
Tombe said the economy in Canada next year would shrink 2.6 per cent, or by about $2,000 per person.
Freeland said while Canada depends on the United States, the reverse is also true. The Americans are heavily dependent on Canada for oil, electricity and critical minerals and metals, she said.
91裸聊视频淲hen it came to the economic relationship, we talked about the fact that trade between Canada and the United States is balanced and mutually beneficial,91裸聊视频� Freeland said of the meeting. 91裸聊视频淭hat Canada is the largest market for the United States by far larger than China, Japan, the U.K. and France combined.91裸聊视频�
Trump has pledged to cut American energy bills in half within 18 months, something that could be made harder if a 25 per cent premium is added to Canadian oil imports. In 2023, Canadian oil accounted for almost two-thirds of total U.S. oil imports and about one-fifth of the U.S. oil supply.
