Trudeau set to speak with premiers to tackle Trump’s tariff plan

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet with provincial and territorial premiers this afternoon to talk Canada-U.S. relations.

The premiers will virtually discuss a joint plan to tackle the threat of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports by incoming U.S. president Donald Trump.

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The meeting is the first time Trudeau will address the premiers following his dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

It comes one day after Trump made a social media post referring to Trudeau as a governor of “the great state of Canada” — a nod to his ribbing that Canada should join the U.S. as its 51st state.

The meeting also comes as the countdown begins for an extended winter break for the House of Commons starting next week.

MPs cleared a hurdle last night by approving $21.6 billion in additional spending in the House of Commons in a vote that came down to the wire to meet a deadline for the parliamentary green light.

The additional cash, which is supplementary to this year’s federal budget, will fund various programs including First Nations child and family services, dental care and compensation for Quebec for the costs of caring for asylum seekers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press