Prime Minister Mark Carney hasn’t met with the premiers in person since July, when he attended a meeting hosted by Doug Ford in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country.Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press
Premiers from across the country are pressing Prime Minister Mark Carney for a meeting to update them on the status of trade talks with the United States, saying the public needs more information about the federal government’s plan.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford say it’s time for the Prime Minister to hold a First Ministers’ meeting, a call supported by the premiers of British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Mr. Carney hasn’t met with the premiers in person since July, when he attended a meeting hosted by Mr. Ford in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country. The last meeting was held virtually on Aug. 6.
A First Ministers’ meeting would allow the premiers and prime minister to strategize on next steps in Canada’s relationship with the U.S., as tariffs continue to batter sectors of the Canadian economy. While Mr. Carney has met with and spoken to premiers individually, there has not been a cohesive response in recent months, with some premiers, such as Mr. Ford, acting unilaterally in what they say are the best interests of their province.
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Mr. Carney’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Gabriel Brunet, a spokesperson for Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Mr. LeBlanc engages regularly with his provincial and territorial counterparts and the premiers. He said the Prime Minister has convened eight meetings with all premiers, both virtual and in person, since March.
“While a date for a further such meeting has not yet been confirmed, the Prime Minister and federal ministers will continue with constructive engagement with provincial and territorial governments throughout the days and weeks ahead,” Mr. Brunet said in a statement.
According to Mr. Ford’s office, weekly meetings between the Prime Minister and premiers were held between Jan. 15 and April 3. After the federal election, the weekly meetings were not renewed. Between May and August, FMMs were held about once per month.
Canada’s relationship with the U.S. has changed significantly since the summer. U.S. President Donald Trump last week cut off trade negotiations with Canada, saying he was angry over an antitariff advertisement from the Ontario government that features former president Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Carney is currently in Asia, as is Mr. Trump, although the U.S. President has said he has no interest in speaking with Canada. The Prime Minister is also set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Friday.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Mr. Kinew said his province wants to hear about Canada’s plan for handling talks with both the U.S. and China.
“What’s the path forward here with the United States of America and engaging with the Trump administration? I think it’d be great for not just premiers, but for every Canadian to hear,” he said.
Last year, Canada imposed tariffs of 100 per cent on Chinese electric vehicles, in tandem with the U.S. In return, China imposed tariffs on canola seed, canola oil, canola meal and peas as well as a 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian seafood and pork products.
Mr. Kinew, along with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, has pushed for Canada to lift the tariffs on Chinese EVs, in exchange for the country lifting its tariffs on Canadian products.
Asked whether he has spoken with Mr. Carney about the tariffs on Chinese EVs, Mr. Kinew said they haven’t talked about it “in any serious way.”
The Manitoba Premier also questioned what Canada has achieved in its negotiations with the U.S.
“We’ve made a number of concessions, and I haven’t seen any progress on our priorities,” he said.
“So we now have a negotiating partner who’s very emotional. And if you’re sitting at the table with somebody, I’d much rather be the calm one than the emotional one.”
He added: “I think there’s only one message coming out of Canada right now. And it’s: we’re not going to be a doormat.”
Mr. Ford has also called for a meeting with the Prime Minister. The Ontario Premier has remained defiant in the face of the Trump administration’s pushback against his province’s ad. Mr. Trump has said he’ll increase tariffs by 10 per cent as a result of the ad but has provided no specifics.
Mr. Trump has imposed a number of sectoral tariffs that affect Canadian industry disproportionately, including a 50-per-cent levy on steel and aluminum and a 25-per-cent levy on automobiles. Softwood producers are facing levies totalling more than 45 per cent.
Mr. Ford said Monday that premiers play a critical role in the Canada-U.S. trade deal and it’s time for the federal government to listen to the concerns of each province.
In follow-up messages to The Globe and Mail, Mr. Ford said he has asked Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz to call a First Ministers’ meeting. Mr. Lantz currently chairs the Council of the Federation, a group representing Canada’s 13 premiers.
“I have talked to all the premiers and we all agree we need to be informed,” Mr. Ford said Thursday.
Asked whether the federal government has provided enough information to premiers, Mr. Ford said: “We always need more.”
Mr. Lantz’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
B.C. Premier David Eby said he supports the call for a meeting, but also said his province is in close and regular contact with the federal government on its strategy and approaches. Mr. LeBlanc is travelling to B.C. next week for a summit about the softwood lumber dispute with the U.S.
“There’s an opportunity, when we’re together, to let each other know which direction we’re going, and what we think is best in approaching this ongoing crisis with our biggest and best trading partner,” Mr. Eby said in an interview.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said Thursday that Mr. Carney has been “pretty open” in his willingness to hold First Ministers’ meetings, “and that’s a good thing.”
“I would say there’s probably a lot for us to talk about as a group,” he told reporters.