Canada’s prime minister was present to witness the signing of the peace deal to end the war in Gaza. But he’s facing scrutiny back home over the lack of a new deal addressing tariffs and trade with the United States.
Mark Carney travelled to Egypt during the weekend and was on hand with other world leaders for the signing of the peace plan to end the war in Gaza. He also praised the leadership of President Donald Trump for his help in bringing peace and was the first leader to walk over and shake Trump’s hand following his remarks.
It was their second meeting in a week. Carney last week travelled to the White House to talk trade and tariffs. But he returned to Ottawa without a deal on tariffs, and faces criticism for not getting one.
The loudest of that criticism came in the House of Commons, during question period when Carney faced the leader of the opposition Conservatives, Pierre Poilievre.
“Our relationship with the United States would never again be what it was,” Carney said during the session. “Second thing that is true is we have the best deal with the Americans. And third thing is we will get an even better deal.”
“The prime minister went pathetically to the White House to offer a trillion-dollar gift bowing before the president in weakness,” Poilievre replied.
Although Carney returned to Ottawa without a deal to end U.S. tariffs, he and his team say it was a positive meeting, with progress in building a new economic and security relationship with the U.S., despite Trump saying they would leave the Washington meetings “very happy.”
Canada’s trade minister Dominic LeBlanc described the meeting as successful, especially on steel, aluminum, and energy.
“In the conversation today, we talked about ways that will quickly arrive at a deal that will bring a better circumstance to both countries in these sectors of significant importance that would be obviously the first step that we hope to conclude quickly in what would then be a conversation that would allow us to make progress in other sectors as well,” LeBlanc said.
In Canada, there was anticipation of a deal, especially from a frustrated Ontario premier Doug Ford.
“We can’t just keep rolling over to President Trump,” Ford said. “As he strengthens his case, we seem to be weakening our case, by continuously pulling off tariffs. I’d take a different approach. Try to get a deal. If you can’t, we got to hit him back hard, and never stop hitting him back hard.”
David MacNaughton, a former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., says it’s not realistic to expect that a trade deal would come out of the recent talks. There are ongoing negotiations, and he says there is an existing deal already in place.
“We do have a trade deal that was negotiated by Donald Trump. I was there. I was part of it. And he called it the best trade deal that’s ever been done,” MacNaughton said. “So the deals that the UK and France and the EU have done, they’re not comprehensive deals. They don’t involve defense and security and they’re at the whim of the president’s mood at any given time.”
Trade and tariffs were also the main, if not the only items on the agenda at the recent summit in Quebec City of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers. It was their first meeting since Donald Trump became president. The concern voiced by most was the economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration. It was also a chance to voice unity by the leaders present.
Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, talked about the importance of the organization of Great Lakes governors and premiers.
“(It’s) an organization that I believe is essential right now, given the strain in the relationship between the United States and Canada due to the policies of the administration in Washington, D.C.,” Shapiro said. “We are all committed to strengthening our economic ties. Now more than ever, we have to find ways to collaborate and cooperate.”
Those sentiments were echoed by the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers.
“We’re in an area of uncertainty, as a country and as a world,” Evers said. “And I am very, very hopeful this organization can play a role in making sure that uncertainty that you heard about from other speakers, becomes less of an issue.”
There is also less certainty in how Prime Minister Carney can hold the support of Canada’s premiers. Ford still backs him, especially on the plan to develop mega- or nation-building projects, a plan to bolster and insulate Canada’s economy amid the trade war with Washington.
But Alberta premier Danielle Smith is pushing for a new pipeline to the west coast, while her counterpart in British Columbia, David Eby, is dead set against it.
A trade deal with Washington, when it comes, could settle down some of the political turbulence that seems to be gaining momentum north of the border, and silence opposition at least for a while.
