Carney bites back at Trump's 'Canada lives because of' U.S. remarks at cabinet meeting
Canada's 'values must be fought for' in a moment of democratic decline, says prime minister
For the second time this week Prime Minister Mark Carney took aim at Donald Trump — this time directly biting back at the U.S. president's "Canada lives because of the United States" comments.
On Wednesday Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he complained that Carney should be grateful because "Canada lives because of the United States."
At the end of a nearly 30-minute speech Thursday kicking off the Liberal cabinet meeting in Quebec City, Carney took on the president's comments.
"Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership. In the economy, in security and in rich cultural exchange. But Canada doesn't live because of the United States," he said
"Canada thrives because we are Canadian."
The lines were added to his address and not part of his prepared remarks, said an official with his office.
'Canada thrives because we are Canadian'
Carney's pre-cabinet speech had the hallmarks of an election campaign speech. After addressing an international audience at Davos the day before Trump, Carney's Thursday remarks took a domestic turn, with a promise to protect Canadian values — emphasizing inclusivity and fairness.
"There are long periods of history when these values can prosper unchallenged. Ours is not one of them," said Carney, speaking from prepared remarks. He did not take reporters' questions.
The prime minister argued that "Canada must be a beacon — an example to a world at sea."
"In a time of democratic decline, we can show how rights can be protected, and equal freedoms endure," he said.
"In a time of rising walls and thickening borders, we can demonstrate how a country can be both open and secure, welcoming and strong, principled and powerful."
With eyes to Monday's return of the House of Commons, Carney reiterated promises to protect services such as child care, dental care and pharmacare, and stand up for the vulnerable "whether they are a newcomer, a person with a disability or a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community."
"Our values must be fought for. That’s what we’re doing, and Canadians are up for it," he said.
His address kicked off two days of meetings with his front benches. The cabinet will be holed up behind the stone walls of the Citadelle, a storied military base and the Governor General's secondary residence that looms over the Quebec capital.
It was fortified in the 19th century in an effort to secure the city against a potential American attack, and in 1943 was the site of the Quebec Conference when Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met secretly to plot a strategy for the Second World War.
Carney turned to some of that site's history in his address, praising the co-operation that came out of the battle at the nearby Plains of Abraham and saluting progress made by former prime ministers including King, Louis St. Laurent, John Diefenbaker, Brian Mulroney and both Trudeaus.
Carney lays out priorities for new year
Echoing the Liberal platform promises, Carney laid out his priorities for the coming Parliamentary session including better economic co-operation with the provinces and territories, widening the net for international trade deals, reforming the criminal justice system, fostering artificial intelligence and making massive investments in defence.
"Now we need to execute. Fairly. And fast," said Carney, likely a nod critics who have argued he needs to back up grand comments with more results.
Poilievre says Canadians have 'had enough words'
His fiercest opponent seized on those outstanding promises.
In a statement Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Carney's Davos speech "eloquently delivered," but said if "Liberal words and good intentions were tradeable commodities, Canada would already be the richest nation on earth."
"We have had enough words. Now, we need results. Now, we must unblock our resources. Now, we must approve pipelines," he said.
Poilievre also said while it's tempting to declare the relationship with the U.S. over, the reality is many Canadians' jobs depend on trade with our southern neighbour.
"We owe it to those workers, our family, friends and fellow Canadians, to ensure those jobs don’t go away," he said.
"But we must also remember that our trade and security partnership with the U.S. is centuries-old and will outlast one president."
Lutnick calls Carney speech 'noise'
Prime ministers historically gather with their cabinets ahead of a new sitting to set priorities, although this year's tone is noticeably more stark.
It's the first time Carney and his ministry have huddled as one since the House of Commons rose for the holiday break in December, and it comes on the heels of the prime minister's nine-day trip to China, Qatar and Davos.
At Davos on Tuesday, Carney referred to "American hegemony" and said world powers are using economic integration as "weapons."
In that closely watched speech, Carney said middle powers like Canada must work together or end up "on the menu" of great powers that are weaponizing economic integration.
One of Trump's key advisers, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, called it "political noise."
In an interview with Bloomberg, Lutnick suggested if Canada continues on a path of closer economic ties with China, "then when [CUSMA] gets renegotiated this year, in the middle of summer, do you think the president of the United States is going to say, ‘You should keep having the second-best deal in the world?'"
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada will continue to broaden whom it trades with.
"The prime minister said a lot of things that people thought, and he had the courage to say it out loud," Champagne told reporters from the blustery Citadelle.
"We will continue to see what we can do, but I think Canadians have understood by now that diversification is key."
The official agenda of the meetings said the cabinet will focus on the economy, affordability and security, and ministers and secretaries of state are expected to discuss progress on their mandates.