Prime Minister Mark Carney says he plans to regularly update Canadians with a frank assessment of efforts to diversify away from the U.S.
"I promise you, I will never sugar-coat our challenges," Carney said in a 10-minute video posted Sunday morning to YouTube.
"I will talk with you directly and regularly about our plan — why we're doing what we're doing, what's working, what isn't."
Carney doubled down on moves to deepen economic and defence ties with allies other than the U.S.
"Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become our weaknesses — weaknesses that we must correct," he said.
Carney argued it would be wrong to try waiting for "the good old days" of co-operation with the U.S., saying Ottawa instead is pushing forward with a plan to diversify.
The prime minister also noted that younger Canadians have not known a time when the world was stable, with the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also said the country can find inspiration in triumphing over historical challenges in the past, drawing from examples of pushing back on American military incursions by leaders during in the War of 1812 and by "Indigenous heroes such as Chief Tecumseh."
Carney's comments come days after forming a majority in Parliament, and as the Conservatives push Carney to deliver a U.S. trade deal, which was among his promises in last year's election.
The Liberals have repeatedly said they will not ink a bad deal with the U.S., while openly stating that investment into Canada is dropping. Carney noted that state of events, adding that American tariffs are threatening sectors such as lumber, steel and automotive work.
Carney has faced criticism for giving sparse details on the state of discussions with Washington. Last November, he apologized after dismissing reporters' questions about speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump, at the time responding "who cares" when asked when the two had last spoken.
Carney branded his Sunday video with the title Forward Guidance, which he said is a term he developed as a central banker responding to crises.
He said the term involves acting with "overwhelming force against our problems until they were solved," and providing updates to the public on those efforts.
"In the weeks and months ahead, I'm going to want to talk with you again," Carney said.
In the video, he reiterates multiple points the government frequently raises, such as efforts to boost interprovincial trade by harmonizing regulations and building major projects that can boost exports to non-American peers.
Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman argued Carney's video is a rehashing of his previous remarks.
"Turns out his plan was to give the same speech over and over again until reality has improved," she wrote on the platform X. She posted her own video where she argued groceries are still pricey and homebuilding continues to face bureaucratic barriers.
"Canadians don't need Forward Guidance, they live in the real world," Lantsman said. "He talks about boldness after a year of doing next to nothing with the extraordinary powers that he was given by Parliament."
Separately, asset manager Richard Dias wrote on X that the term "Forward Guidance" already existed among financial regulators prior to Carney's role running the Bank of Canada.
For months, Carney and his ministers have repeatedly said they will always have close ties to the U.S., and they have frequently avoided direct criticism of Trump.
In February, Carney expressed unequivocal support for the war on Iran that Trump launched alongside Israel, before later expressing regret that Washington did not consult the United Nations for a conflict that likely violates international law.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
