Article content
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described incoming U.S. President Donald Trump as “hilarious” in citing his apparent joke about Canada becoming the 51st state while also emphasizing the need for closer trade ties between Canada and the United States.
Article content
The premier was asked Wednesday about Trump’s comments that were reportedly made last weekend at his Florida home during a dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau where suggested that Canada should become the newest state with Trudeau as its governor.
Article content
Sources told the National Post that the remark drew nervous laughter from the prime minister and others in the room.
Trump also reportedly suggested breaking Canada into two states, one conservative and one liberal.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday that Trump’s comments were a joke, and nothing more.
“In a three-hour social evening at the president’s residence in Florida on a long weekend of American Thanksgiving the conversation was going to be light-hearted,” LeBlanc said.
“The president was telling jokes, the president was teasing us. It was, of course, on that issue, in no way a serious comment.”
Trump has threatened to impose a blanket 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods when he takes office next month unless his concerns about illegal migrants and drugs entering the U.S. from Canada are addressed.
He has also spoken about addressing his country’s trade deficit with Canada, which he estimated to be US$100 billion as well as Canada meeting its NATO alliance spending target of at least two per cent of GDP on national defence.
Article content
Smith on Wednesday acknowledged those concerns and the potential impact of heavy tariffs on the economy of Canada and Alberta.
“We have to take the incoming president seriously, when he’s talking about those things being an irritant to trade,” she said, citing the province’s $180 billion trade relationship with the U.S.
“If we can address those by having proper border security and by meeting our NATO commitment, I suspect that we’ll have a very strong relationship … but we have to to address those issues.”
Smith is expected to attend the annual meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in Las Vegas on Dec. 9 and 10 where she said she’ll speak on a panel about wildfires and insurance implications.
“The governors are going to be our largest advocates in talking about the need to keep those trade ties open and tariff-free so that they can get a reliable supply of energy to fuel their economies, their industries, and make sure that their consumers pay lower prices,” she said.
“I’m looking for allies.”
— with files from Chris Knight
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network