Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he does not expect that Canada and the U.S. will reach a near-term deal to end President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and other sectors.
Adrian Morrow reports that during a news conference in Ottawa today, Carney said that these negotiations will instead be rolled into a review of the pact that governs continental trade.
Carney also said that a list of U.S. priorities in those coming talks released this week was only “a subset of issues of a much bigger discussion,” suggesting that he expects Trump to put more demands on the table.
Before signing a deal in the nation’s capital with Ontario Premier Doug Ford to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects, Carney said he had been close to a deal with the administration in October before Trump walked away from talks. Trump was angered over an anti-tariff ad aired in the United States by the Ontario government.
“We were close to an agreement. We didn’t get that agreement. From our perspective, the terms of that agreement are still on the table,” Carney said.
“If the U.S. wanted to sit down this weekend, we could sit down this weekend and hammer out a sectoral deal. I’m confident of that from our side.”
But he said he did not think that was likely to happen, and so instead, these issues will be discussed as part of a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
In other news today, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé says he’s leaving cabinet to sit as an Independent.
In a statement on social media, Dubé says he is not the right person to continue negotiations with family doctors over changes to a controversial doctor-payment law that he helped push through the legislature.
The Coalition Avenir Québec government passed Bill 2 in late October and has faced strong pushback from physicians since then.
It’s a new major development in the politics of the province a day after former federal cabinet minister Pablo Rodriguez quit as leader of the Quebec Liberals.
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives to take part in an announcement with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Ottawa to shift nearly $1-billion from public-service pension fund to general revenues: The move, announced today by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Shafqat Ali, is legally allowed but sharply criticized by unions.
Judges need different options when cases exceed deadlines, Justice Minister says: Sean Fraser says judges need to consider different options when criminal cases exceed strict deadlines to complete trials.
Pierre Poilievre says a majority government built with floor-crossers is not legitimate: In a year-end interview, the federal Conservative Leader told The Globe and Mail that Canadians will react badly if another MP joins the Liberals and gives them a majority, because that’s not what they voted for.
Ottawa not offering incentives to attract Nutrien to build port in Canada, Transport Minister says: Steven MacKinnon says he is hoping Ottawa’s focus on transport infrastructure will change the fertilizer giant’s decision to build south of the border.
The annual physical: Former federal cabinet minister Jane Philpott, Ontario’s family-medicine czar, has had a year to shake up the system and connect more patients with doctors.
Louise Penny, trade warrior: The bestselling author is a strategic Canadian industry, like aluminum or dairy. So, when she joins the trade war with the U.S., it means something.
Hospital data suggest increase in birth tourism, says immigration expert: Births in Canada to foreign visitors and other non-residents have risen in the past year, an expert in immigration statistics has found after analyzing hospital data.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney met with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, delivered remarks and held a news conference with Ford, followed by a signing ceremony. In mid-afternoon, Carney held a virtual first ministers’ meeting.
Party Leaders: No schedules provided for party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: In Montreal, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly participated in a fireside chat held by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations on integrated industrial strategy.
In the Ontario city of Vaughan, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon, also the minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, made an announcement to support York Region businesses.
Kenney at Cardus: Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney has been named a senior fellow with the Cardus non-partisan think tank.
Quote of the Day
“Good morning, everyone. I am the warm-up act for the Premier of Ontario.” - Mark Carney opens up a news conference in Ottawa today, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Question period
Which two Canadian prime ministers were born in Scotland?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Mark Carney faces a gap year in 2026
Will support for the Liberal Party move up toward Mr. Carney’s personal numbers, or will his popularity dip downward to match those of the government? How that gap will be resolved is the big question for federal politics in 2026.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Canada shouldn’t go cashless
Cash is a budgeting tool. It keeps costs down for business. The political left considers it a social-justice issue. The political right regards cash as the means to protect personal privacy and prevent government overreach. It also bolsters national security and community resilience. Cash is a great unifier, and worth protecting.
— Peter Shawn Taylor is senior features editor at C2C Journal. He lives in Waterloo, Ont.
How should Canada handle the new, irrational United States?
Canada faces a dangerous moment in its history thanks to the new United States. Our instinctive response has been familiar: explain that their new policies would hurt them, too; mobilize sympathetic Americans; retaliate; hope that rational arguments prevail.
— Munir Sheikh is a research professor at Carleton University, former chief statistician of Canada, and author of 2047: The Story of an American Revolution, a novel grounded in the dynamics of irrationality.
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: John A. Macdonald and Alexander Mackenzie, Canada’s first and second prime ministers, were born in Scotland.