Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premiers said Thursday they're maintaining a united front under the long shadow of the upcoming negotiations for the review of North America's key free trade agreement.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, in a reference to the viral Canadian TV show, said people "want there to be a heated rivalry between (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford and I, but we're on the same team."
Kinew has protested Ford's plans to pull Crown Royal whisky, made in Gimli, Man., from Ontario government-run liquor store shelves.
But on a media callback after Thursday's meeting between Carney and the premiers in Ottawa, Kinew said that if the company that produces the whisky can give Ford some kind of win in the near future, the premiers can turn their full attention to the broader picture.
"Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll be able to see some path forward there that takes the temperature down and allows us to focus on the bigger threat to our economy, which is just all this uncertainty right now," he said.
Canada, the United States and Mexico are starting a review this year of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, and the U.S. is expected to posture aggressively over the coming months.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and referred to Carney as "governor."
Kinew told reporters after the meeting that Trump is trying to throw Canada off its game ahead of those crucial trade negotiations.
"It seems like what a lot of what Mr. Trump is doing, from Venezuela to Greenland to taking shots at our prime minister, is to put us on the back foot while we're negotiating, and we need to find strategically a way to get back on our lead foot," he said.
According to a joint statement issued after Thursday's meeting, Carney updated the premiers on Ottawa's plans for the coming review and committed to monthly meetings to update the premiers once CUSMA review talks officially begin.
But Carney was tight-lipped on trade strategy when speaking in public Thursday, batting away a reporter's question after the meeting about whether he would consider extending generous proposals to the U.S. — such as increased external trade policy alignment or even a customs union.
"I find one of the most effective ways to negotiate is not to negotiate in public, so we'll wait until we have the broader discussions with the United States as part of a review," Carney replied.
In the meantime, Trump's sector-specific tariffs continue to damage key Canadian industries such as steel, aluminum and softwood lumber, and apply pressure to the premiers.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said Thursday morning she wasn't seeing a lot of U.S. "movement or interest" in resolving the softwood lumber dispute, meaning a deal on duties outside of the CUSMA review process is unlikely.
"We are constantly looking at ways to make it clear to the U.S. administration how the U.S. lumber producers are suffering under a low price," Holt said.
Carney told reporters the leaders will remain focused on what they can control: building resilience and broadening global partnerships.
"In a more divided and uncertain world, we choose a united, a strong and an ambitious future for Canada," Carney said.
The prime minister said the leaders agreed to create a "Team Canada" trade-and-investment hub with federal, provincial and territorial representatives to support trade missions and business delegations.
As Canada searches for new trade partners abroad, Carney and the premiers also pledged to continue working on removing interprovincial trade barriers. Carney said internal trade ministers will meet again in March.
Kinew said after the meeting that internal trade was a "significant topic of conversation" during Thursday's meeting, along with building "megaprojects."
Carney said the government will release a draft of its national electricity strategy in the coming weeks to "complement provincial and territorial leadership," with an overall goal of doubling the size of Canada's electricity grid.
In prepared remarks before the meeting, Carney boasted that the country is now "more united and ambitious than it has been in decades" and it is "incumbent on us to seize this moment and build big things together."
Bloyce Thompson, premier of Prince Edward Island and chair of the Council of the Federation, said a "big part" of Thursday's discussion was about growing the economy and creating good jobs.
The meeting marked the fourth time first ministers convened in person since last March.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
