Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared an “overview” of the federal government’s plan to bolster border security with Canada’s premiers and discussed potential responses to tariffs threatened by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting Wednesday, federal officials said.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa that the border plan is still being prepared and will include proposals from the premiers during the meeting, which is the second meeting held since Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. He said details will be shared with the incoming Trump administration and Canadians “in the coming days.”
“We shared the details of the border plan with the prime ministers, and we received positive feedback,” he said after the meeting.
LeBlanc said several premiers have offered their provincial police resources, including personnel and equipment, to work with the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to enforce the Canada-U.S. border.
“The idea of joint work was very encouraging to us,” he said.
LeBlanc added that plans to increase spending on border enforcement “will be rolled out when they are implemented,” and did not rule out potential legislation to boost those resources.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after the meeting that the federal government agreed to his “specific requests” to add police resources to the border and have Health Canada share data on the source of fentanyl found in Canada.
“They have a plan, but it’s one thing to have a plan. Now we have to implement it,” he told reporters at Queen’s Park.
Trump said Canada and Mexico need to address illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling into the United States or face tariffs on all American imports.
Although Canada accounts for only a fraction of the illegal entry of people and drugs into America compared to Mexico, Trump’s threat exposed gaps in Canadian border security that premiers and police unions have called on Ottawa to address.
Ford considers cutting US power as part of ‘aggressive’ response
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who also co-chairs the Cabinet Committee on US Relations with LeBlanc, told reporters that several prime ministers have spoken “strongly in favor of a strong Canadian response to unjustified tariffs” if Trump follows through on his threat in January.
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Trudeau said in Halifax on Monday that his government was still considering the “right ways” to respond to U.S. tariffs if they were imposed, but pointed to Canada’s “very carefully targeted” approach when Trump hit Canada with tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018 as an effective way to respond.
Freeland said critical minerals and minerals produced by Canada have been identified as examples of products that the United States relies on that could be included in the potential response.
“We know that this is a moment when Canada needs to be strong, smart and united, and we know that when Canada is strong, smart and united, when we play as a team, we can be effective and we will win,” she said. He said.
“We recognize…that this is a dangerous moment for Canada, and we are determined and resolute to confront that moment.”
Freeland and the provinces will develop lists of products that should be included in the response, Ford said.
He also said Ontario “will go so far as to cut its power” by going to states like Michigan and New York “depending on how far this goes.”
“I don’t want this to happen, but my first job is to protect Ontario, Ontarians and Canadians as a whole, because we are the largest province,” he said.
“People, this is coming. It’s not whether it’s coming, it’s coming on January 20 or 21. We need to be prepared.
Freeland said she did not see the situation as inevitable, saying she would not accept assumptions.
“Canada needs to hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” she said. “Our focus now is on talking to our American friends and neighbors.”
Freeland said Trudeau thanked the prime ministers for reaching out to U.S. officials and the U.S. media as part of a “Team Canada” approach.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was in Las Vegas this week to meet with U.S. governors at the Western Governors Association’s annual winter meeting, making the case for keeping tariffs away from Canadian energy. She and Ford also appeared on Fox News and other US media networks to highlight the impact Trump’s tariffs could have on American consumers.
The first meeting of ministers comes just one day after Trump further mocked Trudeau on social media by calling him the governor of the “great state of Canada” — a reference to his recent reported joke in which he might make Canada join the United States. The United States is the fifty-first country. state.
Lawmakers still have days to go before an extended winter recess, but when lawmakers return to Parliament in January, it will be after the president’s inauguration.
Trudeau told reporters he was “looking forward” to the meeting as he headed into questioning in Ottawa earlier Wednesday.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, but we can see that one of Canada’s great strengths is the different perspectives that focus on defending Canadians. That’s what this is all about,” he said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said some Conservative premiers are sending “very mixed messages,” and now is the time to send signals of unity and show strength.
“What we have to do is acknowledge that Trump is a bully. Bullies look for weakness. “This is why he is attacking us,” Singh said, demanding a clear plan of action.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Sunday that “every conservative will tell every American” that tariffs on Canada would be a bad idea. But he also repeatedly criticized Trudeau as a weak leader who will not protect Canada from Trump’s threats.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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