Freeland rallies a united front ahead of Trump’s return to White House
CTV
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is seeking to rally a united front and co-ordinate a plan to deal with threats posed by the Donald Trump presidency.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is getting the band back together, seeking to rally a united front and co-ordinate a plan to deal with threats posed by the incoming Donald Trump presidency.
She’s spending her days talking with heads of major industries and various premiers and meeting with members of parties across the political spectrum, mirroring efforts by her government the last time a Trump White House threatened Canada’s national interests.
"We're going to need to take a real Team Canada approach on all of these issues," she said at a Friday news conference, following the first meeting of a rejuvenated cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations.
She and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly got up in front of the TV cameras seeking to reassure the public that Canada will be ready and the nation can pull through another white-knuckle ride with Trump in the Oval Office.
The committee was created by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Trump took office the first time in 2017. It went dormant during President Joe Biden's term but was revived a little more than 24 hours after Trump's win was secured.
Speaking in Vancouver Friday, Trudeau said his government's job will be making sure Trump and his allies know that his policies to protect American jobs can be done in partnership with Canada.
"The Canada-U.S. Committee is a sign that we are ready to tackle some of the new challenges that no doubt the new American administration will put on the on the table for countries around the world, that Canada will be ready to handle," he said.