Liberal ministers attending the party’s three-day cabinet retreat in Montreal said their government is preparing for the possible re-election of Donald Trump, which the prime minister recently said would be a “step back” for Canadians.
“Now this year, half of the planet will be going through elections, including in the U.S., and we will be ready,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters on Jan. 22, the second day of the
retreat. “We will have a pragmatic approach, even when it comes to the U.S. and even when it comes to, of course, our best friend and ally.”
When asked how the Liberal government would prepare for a potential second Trump presidency, Ms. Joly said she would not go into details. “We will work with premiers, we will work with the business community, we will work with unions, we will work with the entire country, because we have connections from coast to coast to coast to our best friend,” she said.
Back in
August 2023, Ms. Joly said the Liberal government was preparing for “what could be a very difficult situation” if Mr. Trump or someone with similar policies became the next U.S. president. “I think we certainly have to prepare multiple scenarios, because our political and economic reality is greatly tied to what takes place in the U.S.,” Ms. Joly said.
During the Jan. 22 press conference, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne also said the Liberals know “how to deal with a Republican administration,” having renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and making progress further integrating its supply chains with the United States.
“I think people should trust those who have done that,” said Mr. Champagne.
The Liberal ministers’ comments come after Mr. Trump won the first Republican primary, in Iowa, with a historical margin, leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to drop out and endorse the former president.
The most recent polls show that Mr. Trump has
an over 20-point lead over his lone rival, Nikki Haley, in the upcoming New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23, and that he leads current
President Joe Biden by 5 points in a head-to-head matchup.
Liberals Attack ‘MAGA’ Conservatives
Along with saying they are ready to deal with Mr. Trump, the Liberals have also used him to attack their Conservative rivals who have a commanding lead in the polls.
During a press conference in November 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the “rise of a right-wing, American influence, MAGA [Make American Great Again] thinking”
was influencing the Conservative Party to turn its back on supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Other Liberal MPs
have repeated the attacks, with Mark Gerretsen claiming last December that the Conservative Party was now “heavily influenced” by the “MAGA-Alt-Right-Republicans.”
More recently, Mr. Trudeau said another Trump presidency would be a “step back” that would make life tough for Canadians. “It wasn’t easy the first time, and if there is a second time, it won’t be easy either,” Mr. Trudeau said on Jan 16.
Mr. Trump had protectionist tendencies during his time in office, calling NAFTA the “worst trade deal ever made” and then renegotiating it with Canada and Mexico.
The restructured deal resulted in Canada making some economic concessions, such as capping its automotive exports to the United States and expanding access to its highly protected dairy markets.
Mr. Biden has also been protectionist with a “
Buy America“ policy, and issues such as tariffs on softwood lumber have continued under his term, but his administration shares many objectives with the Liberals on issues like climate change and social policies.
