After dramatic week taking on Trump, Carney skips out on answering questions
Standard news conference was abruptly called off Friday
Prime Minister Mark Carney had an eventful week that saw him try and reposition Canada on the world stage and host high-level cabinet meetings — but it ended with unanswered questions about what comes next.
Carney was scheduled to take reporters' questions after two days of meetings with his front benches in Quebec City — standard fare at these retreats. But moments before Carney was expected to appear, his news conference was cancelled.
An official cited the prime minister's schedule as the reason why.
Carney has not taken media questions since returning to Canada after a trip to China, Qatar and Davos, Switzerland, and in a week where he twice spoke out forcefully against U.S. President Donald Trump.
Carney's main interaction with reporters came Thursday evening, when he told a group trying to get answers on the Trump relationship that their questions were boring.
Boring or not, the stack of questions for the prime minister has grown over the week, including where the fractured bilateral relationship goes and what that could mean for trade negotiations.
Cabinet focused on sovereignty
Carney used the opening of the two-day cabinet meeting at the Citadelle, a historic military fortress, to respond to Trump, who had publicly warned the prime minister that Canada "lives" thanks to the United States.
"Canada doesn't live because of the United States," Carney shot back in a nearly 30-minute address Thursday that kicked off the gathering.
"Canada thrives because we are Canadian."
It was his second substantial address of the week. On Tuesday, Carney delivered a widely acclaimed speech in Davos, in which he laid out a frank assessment of the world order, calling out powers who use "economic integration as weapons."
Trump withdraws invite to join 'Board of Peace'
On Thursday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was withdrawing an invitation for Carney to join his "Board of Peace" initiative for Gaza.
Trump also falsely claimed that troops from non-U.S. NATO countries avoided the front lines during the Afghanistan war. He said he wasn't sure the alliance would be there to support the United States if and when requested.
Carney didn't respond to those comments, but Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, who was put up in his boss's place, said "you cannot rewrite history."
"We're proud of our men and women in uniform and we know the sacrifice they have endured," Champagne told reporters.
"We don't need comments from anyone else to know the strength of our armed forces … they know what they did, we know what they did and the world knows what they did."
And another Trump administration take popped up from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — this time, on the separatist movement in Alberta.
"I think we should let them come down into the U.S," he told a Conservative news outlet on Friday.
Organizers of the Alberta independence movement are collecting signatures in order to trigger a referendum in that province.
"One thing I have learned over time is you don't need to comment on every single comment that is being made," said Champagne when asked to respond to Bessent.
Carney calls for Canada to be a 'beacon'
These types of cabinet meetings, sometimes referred to as retreats, are often used as a way for the government to set priorities before the House returns and galvanize ministers.
In his address Thursday, Carney argued that uniting behind Canada's values will be key to upholding its sovereignty. His comments came not just against the backdrop of a changed relationship with Trump, but potentially ahead of referendums on separatism in both Alberta and Quebec.
He called Canada to be a "beacon" in the face of rising authoritarianism.
"There are billions of people who aspire to what we have built: a pluralistic society that works," he said in the Thursday speech.
Are you concerned about Canadian sovereignty or economic threats right now? We want to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
"Canada cannot solve all the world's problems, but we can show that another way is possible: that the arc of history isn't destined to be warped towards authoritarianism and exclusion, it can still bend towards progress and justice."
He also offered his view of what makes Canada different from other countries, charting a course through history to when the British, French and First Nations battled on the nearby Plains of Abraham.
"Two-hundred and sixty-seven years ago, this ground was soaked with blood. Two empires had collided. One had prevailed. What would come next?” Carney asked.
"The answer that emerged — slowly, imperfectly, not without struggle, but unmistakably — co-operation. Partnership. A shared future."
Carney's telling of history attracted criticism in Quebec.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who has promised a third referendum if he wins this fall's provincial election, accused the prime minister on social media Thursday of falsifying history in the face of a mounting independence movement.
Poilievre calls out Liberal record
Carney's biggest political rival also criticized the Liberals' record on reducing Canada's reliance on the United States.
In a six-page statement released Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre acknowledged that "no one can control what President Trump does or says," but stressed 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."
Poilievre also took aim at "Liberal words and good intentions."
"We have had enough words. Now, we need results," he said.
The closed-door cabinet meetings also focused on the economy, affordability, security and AI, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
The House of Commons returns Monday for the first time since early December.
With files from The Canadian Press