Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have talked for the first time since Carney announced his “landmark” agreement last week to remove trade barriers with China.
The two leaders spoke on Thursday, Ford’s office told The Globe and Mail. The call was described as “amicable.”
It capped off a rocky week in provincial-federal relations, with Ford expressing profound disappointment with the Prime Minister’s deal with China.
The agreement will see tariff relief for the canola and agricultural sectors but also lifts levies on 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles, with Ford sounding the alarm on the potential impact on his province’s auto sector.
Ford was left in the dark about the deal – even as Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe joined the Prime Minister overseas.
Earlier in the week, the Ontario Premier lamented that he hadn’t heard from Carney personally about the deal.
The two leaders will have a chance to hash it out in person next week. The premiers are set to gather in Ottawa for a Council of the Federation meeting on Wednesday, followed by a first ministers’ meeting with Mr. Carney on Thursday.
Today, Carney was in Quebec City for the second day of a two-day cabinet retreat.
In other news, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has goaded the Prime Minister and directly referenced Alberta’s potential independence referendum, calling the Western province “a natural partner for the U.S.”
Matthew Scace reports that Bessent’s comments in an interview with American right-wing media personality Jack Posobiec, make him the highest-profile member of the Trump administration to weigh in on the issue – and adds to the steady drumbeat of allies of U.S. President Donald Trump who appear to be watching the campaign.
“Alberta has a wealth of natural resources, but they won’t let them build a pipeline to the Pacific,” Bessent said Thursday
“I think we should let them come down into the U.S., and Alberta is a natural partner for the U.S. They have great resources; the Albertans are very independent people. [There’s a] rumour that they may have a referendum on whether they want to stay in Canada or not … people are talking.”
Bessent’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In this file photo, Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks as Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, looks on during an announcement on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 18, 2025.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Trump withdraws Carney’s invitation to Board of Peace: The U.S. President announced the move after the Prime Minister skipped the group’s first meeting and delivered a speech widely viewed as rebuking Trump for ending the U.S.-led rules-based international order.
Parti Québécois stays course on referendum despite Carney’s call for unity: On the heels of Carney’s call for unity in Quebec City this week, the sovereigntist party is gathering this weekend at a convention to lay out a roadmap ahead of the coming provincial election with a promise of a referendum at its heart.
Engler found guilty of harassment over mass e-mail campaign: Left-wing activist Yves Engler was convicted of harassment and obstruction of justice for mounting an e-mail campaign directed at a Montreal police officer who was planning to charge him in another case.
Quebec postpones emissions targets: The province’s 2030 emission-cuts deadline is being extended by five years over government concerns regarding threats to jobs and the economy.
Task force advises Ottawa to regulate chatbots: Ottawa’s forthcoming online harms and privacy bills should regulate aspects of artificial intelligence, including by introducing a requirement for platforms to label AI-generated photos and video, say members of the government’s AI strategy task force.
On our radar
Commons on a Break: The House of Commons will sit for the first time this year on Monday. The Senate sits again on Feb. 3.
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney is in Quebec City for a two-day cabinet meeting that ends today.
Party Leaders: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is visiting Salt Spring Island to play host to a community meeting this evening. Interim-NDP Leader Don Davies is in the Nunavut community of Rankin Inlet for a caucus meeting. No schedules available for other party leaders.
Jolin-Barrette rules out leadership bid: Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette has become the latest member of the Coalition Avenir Québec to rule out a bid to lead the party. François Legault has said he would step down as party leader and premier once the CAQ picks his successor on April.12. Media reports suggest Economy Minister Christine Fréchette will enter the race on Sunday.
Quote of the Day
“When you’re talking about a trip to China, I recognize you’re not going to get real-time updates while Canada’s delegation is there, and that’s just because people don’t bring their phones when they’re travelling on official business. So I think that situation might be a little unique overall. I’m encouraged by Mr. Carney’s level of communication so far, and we did get an update relatively soon after that announcement, within hours with the EVs and the canola and all that.” - Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, speaking during a news conference in Winnipeg today, talks about his views on being kept informed on developments in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to China.
Question period
In 1990, Elijah Harper, a member of the Manitoba legislature who had previously been chief of the Red Sucker Lake First Nation, had a high-profile role in the demise of the Meech Lake constitutional accord. He helped scupper it by refusing to give unanimous consent to allow the legislature to pass the accord – a key initiative of the government of prime minister Brian Mulroney. To signify his opposition, Harper held up a feather. What kind of feather was it?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
How would Trump behave differently if he was legitimately losing his mind?
It is uncouth to diagnose from afar, but it is reasonable to wonder if something is happening to this President. He has fallen asleep during his own criminal trial, and during the U.S. Open, and reportedly during his own cabinet meetings. His speech this week at Davos, in particular, made Mr. Trump appear more unfocused, more delusional, and more scatterbrained than ever.
— Robyn Urback, Columnist
How must the world stand up to Donald Trump?
In the longer term, we must understand how fundamentally our world has changed. For the past 150 years, we have had the comfort of knowing that our borders were secure, protected on three sides by oceans and on the fourth, by the Great Republic to our south. Today, who can say whether we will still be in possession of all our present territory at the end of the century – or at the end of the decade – or even at the end of this year?
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
Trump fears the debt markets, but can Europe leverage them to quell his aggression?
There is a lesson here for any country that faces being bullied into submission by Mr. Trump and his no-rules, might-makes-right international order: The capital markets are your best weapon if you lack the military might, or sheer economic bulk (as China does on both counts), to call Mr. Trump’s bluff.
— Eric Reguly, European Bureau Chief
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Get the latest insight and analysis from our political opinion writers
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The answer to today’s question: It was an eagle feather. Newfoundland and Labrador premier Clyde Wells, responding to developments in Manitoba, cancelled a proposed accord vote in his province’s legislature. The accord died.