Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called for “a new partnership” between Canada and the United States in a speech today to a business audience in New York, as the federal government prepares for intensifying trade negotiations.
James Bradshaw and Bill Curry report that Carney highlighted the “mutual strength” that stems from Canada’s economic integration with the U.S., if the two countries can work together on sectors such as aluminum, autos and critical minerals.
A “true partnership” would re-imagine co-operation in those areas and others, and Canada has “made specific, practical proposals to the U.S. administration,” Carney said in remarks at the Economic Club of New York.
But Canada has yet to start formal negotiations with the U.S. to review the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. And Canadian officials are absent from a first round of bilateral talks that the U.S. is having in Mexico City this week.
The U.S. has planned two more rounds of direct discussions with Mexico over the next month. Those will cover issues such as content rules for autos and other industries, agriculture, and tariff co-ordination to reduce Chinese inputs in continental supply chains.
Carney’s speech added to a recent shift in rhetoric from the government, which is adopting a softer tone and signalling its desire to move forward with talks of its own.
Most of Carney’s speech focused on promoting the government’s efforts to diversify its trade, expand its natural resources sector and spend more on defence.
“We’re realizing our full potential as an energy superpower,” he said.
Also today, the Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a ruling that Aboriginal title cannot be declared over private land, in a decision the federal government says will have an impact on the Cowichan Tribes case in British Columbia.
The refusal by Canada’s high court to hear a First Nation’s appeal against the decision in New Brunswick is in contrast to the landmark Cowichan ruling by B.C.’s Supreme Court that has cast doubt on the primacy of private property rights.
The Crown-Indigenous Relations Department said the ruling would inform arguments in other cases, including Cowichan, adding that “private property rights are fundamental.”
In the New Brunswick decision, an Appeal Court judge said in December that a declaration of Aboriginal title over privately owned lands “would sound the death knell of reconciliation with the interests of non-Aboriginal Canadians.”
The Wolastoqey Nation had sought leave to appeal that ruling but it was denied by the Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday.
“Canada takes note of the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the Wolastoqey case,” spokesperson for Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to the Economic Club of New York on Thursday.Jeenah Moon/Reuters
What else is going on
Don’t give Alberta separatists space to gain traction, Dion warns: Stéphane Dion, a former federal minister who helped create the Clarity Act, says the government, as well as individual Canadians, need to be relentless in making the case to Albertans for staying in Canada.
Canadian warship transits Taiwan Strait despite China’s warning: The trip of the HMCS Charlottetown frigate came days before a high-stakes visit to Canada by the Chinese Foreign Minister to Ottawa.
Geopolitical, trade risks pose rising threat to financial stability, Bank of Canada warns: But in its annual Financial Stability Report, the central bank said that the Canadian financial system remains resilient.
Experts split on MAID oversight after Ontario lets disciplined doctor continue practice: The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario evaluated complaints related to two MAID patients who received the procedure in 2024 from James MacLean, a family physician in London.
Bloc MP quits caucus to run for Parti Québécois: Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay will run in the fall Quebec election. He officially left the Bloc today and is listed as an Independent on the House of Commons website.
Quebec politicians condemn Carney’s comments on conditions for referendum victory: Those are fighting words in Quebec, where there is broad agreement that a simple majority is enough to declare victory in a sovereignty referendum.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In New York City, Mark Carney met with members of the Business Roundtable, delivered remarks and participated in a featured conversation with the Economic Club of New York. In the evening, Carney returned to Ottawa.
Party Leaders: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was at the House of Commons. In Toronto, NDP Leader Avi Lewis delivered a keynote address to the annual Ontario convention of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: In Halifax, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne participated in Invest Canada ’26, a Canadian venture capital and private equity association conference.
Quotes of the Day
“Canada strong will help make America great again” – Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking to the Economic Club of New York, today. He said a stronger Canada is a better ally to the United States.
“It can be true that the data looks better and people still feel stressed. Canadians have gone through a lot of economic and financial stress over the last years. The headlines feel precarious. Things feel uneasy so even households that are coping well and able to make their debt payments, that all gives us really nice looking data. I’m sure there’s a level of stress there.” – Carolyn Rogers, the Bank of Canada senior deputy governor, speaking at a news conference in Ottawa today.
Question period
Ninety-two years ago, the Dionne quintuplets were born near the Ontario township of Callander. The five girls were the first quintuplets to survive their infancy. Eventually, the Ontario government passed legislation to make them wards of the Crown until they were 18. What were their first names? Bonus question: Are any of the quintuplets now alive?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
An environmental symbol slips out of Parliament
Mr. Carney’s Liberals are unperturbed. They don’t seem to fear the loss of support to a weakened NDP, or the loss of a symbol in Quebec. True to his word, he didn’t kick and scream. He’s just going to get up and leave.
— Campbell Clark, Chief Political Writer
What does a ‘leave’ vote in a secession referendum mean?
Now, 31 years after Quebec’s last referendum on independence, Canada faces the prospect of a return to this most destructive kind of politics.
— George Anderson was the federal deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs from 1996 to 2002.
We are making the exact same mistake in health care as we did in housing
Today, we are witnessing the same kind of supply-constrained policy failure inside Canada’s publicly funded health-care system.
— Rafiq Andani is a family physician and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba.
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: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie and Marie. Annette, who was the last surviving quintuplet, died in December, 2025, aged 91.