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CTV News
an hour ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘We have his back': Prime minister, premiers take united approach in trade talk strategy
The Council of the Federation's three-day summer session in Huntsville, Ont., wrapped up Wednesday. The primary focus of the meetings has been the ongoing negotiations with the White House. On July 10, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will charge a 35 per cent tariff on Canadian imports starting Aug. 1. 'Well, look, if President Trump has taught us anything, it's that we shouldn't get hung up on anything because he can change his mind at the drop of a hat and a deal isn't a deal,' said New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt. 'So that's the real challenge for all of New Brunswick's entrepreneurs is, no matter what happens on Aug. 1, are we going to be able to trust that that's then going to stay in place for any foreseeable length of time?' Holts says the consensus is the end result is more important than the speediness of the result. 'I think we've realized that there is a possibility to end up in a much worse situation than the one that we're in now, while we push to end up in a better situation,' said Holt. 'So, it's figuring out what is that push to get a better deal to get rid of those tariffs that doesn't risk us finding ourselves in a much worse position.' Holt says Canada needs to reach a place where there is confidence that the deal that is struck is going to be adhered to by the president of the United States. 'Canada has been under U.S. tariffs for a very long time. This isn't new, as much as it might seem new, and the folks in softwood lumber could speak to that. There's different tariffs that have been in place for different sectors. In some cases, on and off,' said Holt. 'The goal is a tariff-free environment, certainly for softwood lumber, but also for all of the Canadian economy.' 'We have his back' Prime Minister Mark Carney has shifted the goal post in the trade talks between Canada and the United States from a tariff-free deal to getting the best deal possible. 'We are only going to accept the best deal for Canada. We'll take stock if there isn't one. A good deal is something that preserves, reinforces and stabilizes those relationships as much as possible. A good deal is also one that doesn't tie our hands,' said Carney. 'There's always a possibility for this to go sour. So, I think the premiers gave the PM the reassurance that we want the best deal possible. We have his back. We don't want him to take a deal that isn't good for New Brunswick or Canada because of a deadline,' said Holt. Several other premiers shared a similar message Wednesday afternoon, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford. 'With a united Team Canada approach, we're going to build and protect the true north strong and free,' said Ford. Former New Brunswick premier Brian Gallant said Canada needs the U.S., but shouldn't forget tariffs would cause economic pain on the other side of the border, too. 'To see the premiers at and the PM stay united despite the fact there are many political parties represented in the group of 14, so I think that's the number one outcome from these meetings,' said Gallant. 'I think it's also putting Canadians on notice that we may indeed have more uncertainty.' 'Similarly impatient' Holt said the premiers are 'similarly impatient' about a new internal trade agreement. '(We) want to come up with that new Canada free-trade agreement that is simple and clear and eliminates every barrier possible, recognizing that we're each unique provinces,' said Holt in an interview with CTV Atlantic's Todd Battis. 'We each have a thing, whether it's land in P.E.I. or fish in Newfoundland, that needs to be treated differently, but everything else has to go. Particularly in the transport sector. We need to be able to move New Brunswick products to the people in Manitoba or Saskatchewan or B.C. who really want them without that truck having to go through red tape and barriers and change flags and change first aid kits. We're all impatient for that work to be done and to bear fruit.' Memorandum of understanding Holt signed a memorandum of understanding with Premier Wab Kinew of Manitoba to expand the market opportunity for New Brunswick entrepreneurs, without adding administrative burden or new cost. 'I think anytime that we can introduce a new province to our goods and in such a way that makes it easy for entrepreneurs here who might have thought, 'Ah, it's not worth me learning the regulations of Manitoba and figuring out what different packaging I'd have to create for my product in order to sell it there,' said Holt. 'Or, now they can take the product they're already making, the packaging that they already have, and they can send it to Manitoba to sell to new customers without that added cost or added work.' With files from CTV Atlantic's Todd Battis and Nick Moore.
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Premiers tout progress on interprovincial trade
On the always contentious issue of interprovincial trade barriers, Premier Doug Ford notes Ontario has signed deals with every province and territory except Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador and he is hopeful to ink agreements with those two provinces sooner rather than later. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt adds 'we have made more progress that's been made in a long time' thanks in part to a cooperative federal government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Quebec Premier François Legault adds that Bill 112, his government's legislation mandating free trade with other provinces, should pass this fall.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Trump ‘acting like the enemy,' Ford says as premiers wrap final day of meetings
The Canadian premiers speak to the media during the 2025 summer meetings of Canada's Premiers at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ont., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Following a day of talks focused on domestic issues, such as bail reform and health transfers, Canada's premiers are wrapping up their three-day gathering in Muskoka presenting a united front in the ever-looming threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. 'We can walk and chew gum at the same time,' New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said during a post-meeting press conference. 'What's happened is that the pressing threats that Donald Trump has made to our economy have meant that instead of occupying all of our meetings and squeezing out conversations about bail reform and immigration, we've been meeting a lot more.' 'We've spent a lot more time together in my entire tenure as premier in just eight months than I think my predecessor would have spent in six years,' Holt also said. The premiers are wrapping up three days of meetings in Huntsville, Ont., hosted by Ontario Premier and Council of the Federation Chair Doug Ford. While the provincial and territorial leaders have covered topics ranging from internal trade barriers to health transfers and immigration, the threat of Trump and his trade war loomed large. Prime Minister Mark Carney also joined the premiers in Muskoka for a meeting on Tuesday, aimed mostly at giving an update on the state of negotiations with the United States. While Carney has given an Aug. 1 deadline to hash out a new economic and security deal with the U.S. — pushing it back from an earlier mid-July date — the prime minister signalled Tuesday he's prioritizing getting 'the best deal' over the timeline. Many premiers said Tuesday they have faith in the federal government as a negotiating team, while Trump's pledge to raise tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent on Aug. 1 fast approaches. During the post-meeting press conference on Wednesday, Quebec Premier François Legault said the Muskoka gathering gave the premiers an opportunity for 'two-for-one' talks, both on domestic issues amongst themselves and on trade negotiations with Carney. Legault said considering the impending Aug. 1 deadline for higher tariffs, the chance to meet with the prime minister was 'necessary.' Earlier Wednesday, Ford said: 'Trump himself is acting like the enemy.' 'I have no problem, but I don't trust President Trump as far as I can throw him,' Ford said, when asked whether he'd be satisfied waiting until 2026 to renegotiate the Canada-U.S. Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the date by which the free trade deal is already set for review. 'He constantly changes his mind, you just don't know who you're dealing with,' the Ontario premier added. Premiers support waiting for best deal Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, meanwhile, said she would prefer to have the CUSMA renegotiation process accelerated, especially with Trump 'getting quite aggressive' on certain sectoral tariffs, such as those targeting autos, steel, aluminum, and copper, to name a few. 'I'm watching Truth Social along with everyone else, because things could change in five minutes,' Smith said during the premiers' final press conference. 'But what we're hearing from the Americans, it looks like they're putting off a full renegotiation of the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement until next year. I find that disappointing.' 'If we can come up with some kind of common arrangement on those sectoral agreements by Aug. 1, we'll look at that as a win,' Smith also said. 'And if it takes a little bit longer to renegotiate (the) Canada-U.S. free trade agreement to make sure that we get it right, then I'm supportive of that.' Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he's also in favour of waiting on a good deal instead of rushing into a weaker one. After spending the bulk of Tuesday focused on Trump and presenting a united front with the American administration, the premiers shifted to domestic policy on Wednesday, discussing health transfers and bail reform. Deal by deadline 'highly unlikely': former ambassador In an interview on The Vassy Kapelos Show across the iHeart Radio network on Wednesday, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton said he believes it's 'highly unlikely' Canada and the U.S. will reach a 'comprehensive deal' by Aug. 1. 'It may take longer, and I think it probably will,' he said. MacNaughton served as Canada's diplomat in Washington throughout the original CUSMA negotiations during Trump's first term. With files from CTV News' Rachel Aiello and Samantha Pope
CBC
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
N.B. government will apologize to former PC minister over firing
Premier Susan Holt says her government won't fight a provincial labour board decision that awards former PC cabinet minister Margaret-Ann Blaney a formal apology and more than $700,000 in compensation.
CBC
8 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
N.B. government will apologize to former P.C. minister for firing
Social Sharing New Brunswick's Liberal government will officially apologize to former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Margaret-Ann Blaney over her firing by a previous Liberal government in 2014. Premier Susan Holt confirmed to CBC News that her government will not contest a ruling by the New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board that Blaney's rights were violated by the firing. The province will also comply with the board's order to compensate Blaney at a cost of more than $700,000. "There were errors made in the past. It wasn't the right way to do things, to fire people for partisan reasons," Holt told CBC News Wednesday morning. "Part of why I got into politics was to do things differently, and move away from partisan, petty politics to doing the right thing. So we abide by the ruling, we're going to apologize and things like that won't happen again on my watch." Blaney, a PC MLA first elected in 1999, was appointed CEO of the provincial agency Efficiency New Brunswick by PC Premier David Alward in 2012. The move was widely seen as an example of political patronage. Two years later, the new Liberal government of Brian Gallant fired Blaney and passed legislation that prevented her from collecting severance or from suing. Board upholds complaint This week, the labour board upheld Blaney's complaint under the Human Rights Act, saying the Liberal legislation was "an abuse of power" and that the law, and the firing, amounted to discrimination based on Blaney's party affiliation. "Ms. Blaney was not treated with dignity, was not afforded the protection of the rule of law, and she was subjected to public miseries because of her political belief and activity," the board said. It ordered the government to pay her the equivalent of more than $700,000 for lost salary and vacation, pension contributions and damages. It also ordered the government to issue a written apology "acknowledging that it discriminated against her in violation of the act because of political activity." WATCH | 'An abuse of power': Labour board rules for former minister: Former PC minister fired by Liberals wins legal challenge 19 hours ago The ruling noted that while a Liberal government fired Blaney, "blame cannot be attributed solely to that government." It said the PC government of Blaine Higgs, elected in 2018, "did nothing to rectify the violation of Ms. Blaney's rights" and continued to defend the Liberal legislation and tried to prevent Blaney from pursuing her complaint under the Human Rights Act. The legislature "as a whole" treated Blaney in a disingenuous and callous way, it said.
