Trudeau to meet with premiers face-to-face after announcing resignation

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will convene an in-person meeting with Canada’s premiers next week in Ottawa to discuss the looming economic threat from the U.S., the Prime Minister’s Office told Global News.

The meeting, scheduled for Jan. 15, will be the first between Trudeau and the premiers since the prime minister announced on Monday he plans to resign after a new Liberal leader is chosen. Parliament has been prorogued until March 24 to allow for a leadership race.

That announcement came with two weeks to go before the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose economically damaging 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods upon taking office.

4:26 What could Trudeau’s exit mean for Canada-U.S. trade talks?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Monday urged Trudeau to meet “face-to-face” with the premiers as early as this week to explain how the federal government plans to avoid or respond to those tariffs, which he said should still be the number one priority in Ottawa.

“We need all hands on deck, and we need the prime minister to continue doing his job,” he told reporters in Toronto.

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“Prorogation doesn’t mean vacation. It means continuing moving forward as the prime minister as long as he holds that title.”

The premiers are set to hold a separate call amongst themselves this Wednesday afternoon without Trudeau.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said Tuesday the “state of the federal government” means Canada’s premiers are taking the lead in the fight against Trump’s tariff threat, alluding to the political chaos in Ottawa.

“We’ll be having discussions this Wednesday with premiers from across Canada to ensure that we’re coordinating,” Eby told reporters in Vancouver.

“I hope that even despite the resignation of the prime minister, the federal government is able to participate in meaningful ways with us moving forward.”

1:59 B.C. premier says his focus remains on Trump tariff threat

The premiers are planning a visit to Washington to meet with American decision makers and try to convince Trump to back away from his tariff plan. Ford said last month the trip was tentatively scheduled for February, but no date has been set.

Eby said the premiers will make the case that the proposed tariffs “will mean a significant increase in prices for Americans” on costs like homes and electricity.

Eby spoke after Trump amped up his rhetoric about wanting Canada to become a U.S. state, telling reporters in Florida on Tuesday he’d use “economic force” to force a merger between the two countries.

Trudeau wrote on social media that there “isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” and Eby similarly dismissed Trump’s threat.

“Canadians are proud. I’m proud to be Canadian. We are not becoming the 51st state,” he said.

“I think that one of the recognitions of both Canadians and Americans is that we are different places, we have different priorities, and yet we’re good neighbours and friends and, in many cases, family.”