Canada: Trudeau Assembles Cabinet Team to Discuss Future Trump Presidency

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Facts

  • Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has re-established a special Cabinet committee on Canada-US relations to prepare for the incoming Donald Trump presidency. It will include the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, public safety, and industry.[1]
  • The incoming Trump team, which campaigned on deporting millions of illegal immigrants and imposing international tariffs, has sparked fears in Canada over potential economic impacts and rising rates of immigrants heading north.[2]
  • The chair of the committee will be Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who's also the finance minister. She already held meetings with the steel and auto industries in response to Trump's election.[3]
  • Economic fears come as Trump, who renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during his first administration, is considering 10%-20% global tariffs. 75% of Canada's exports go to the US.[4][5]
  • Trump has called on NATO countries to meet an agreed-upon spending rate on defense (2% of their GDPs), with Canada investing an approximate 1.33% in its military. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, who spoke with her Ukrainian counterpart on Wednesday, has not commented specifically on Trump.[1][6]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]CityNews Toronto, [3]The Globe and Mail, [4]ABC27, [5]National Post (a) and [6]National Post (b).

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by Toronto Star. If Trump implements his desired policies, Canada will face negative consequences everywhere, from immigration and trade to currency devaluation and defense. Since Ottawa has already been through a Trump presidency, however, Trudeau has time to work with politicians in both countries to ensure Trump's most radical plans are thwarted. If he pre-emptively shores up support for NATO and free trade, among other things, Trump won't get to throw North America into chaos.
  • Right narrative, as provided by National Post. Trudeau's government is trying to project confidence right now because they know their policies have been subsidized by Joe Biden's America Last agenda. Once Trump is in office, he will actually expect Canada to pay its fair share on defense and clamp down on illegal immigration, the latter of which will put Canada's immigration system to the test. Once Trump begins making America great, Trudeau will be exposed for having made Canada weak.