Borders a 'priority' for the federal committee on relations with the Americans

Photo: Spencer Colby The Canadian Press The group of federal ministers dedicated to Canada-U.S. relations was resurrected earlier this week with a new lineup. Such a committee has not met since Donald Trump left office in early 2021.

Émilie Bergeron – The Canadian Press in Ottawa

Published at 17:15 Updated at 18:26

• Canada

Canada-U.S. border issues were central to the “successful” first meeting of the federal cabinet committee on relations with the Americans.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who chairs the task force, stressed this priority and Canadians’ concerns about the Canada-U.S. border on Friday.

“Controlling our border, knowing that we are truly a sovereign country that controls our border, is fundamental to the security of Canadians across the country,” said the woman who led negotiations with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during his first term at the end of the meeting.

The Republican candidate who emerged victorious in Tuesday’s U.S. election campaigned on a promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants.

This comes as Canada has just announced a significant drop in immigration levels, both for newcomers coming on a temporary basis and for those seeking permanent residency.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a similar statement, praising Canada’s immigration system as “robust” and “working according to the rules.”

“We are ready to ensure that we continue to protect the integrity of our borders, to work with the Americans, in due course,” he said during a visit to Vancouver.

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“Maintaining confidence”

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly believes that “Canadians have confidence in [the] immigration system.”

“But it’s up to us to work to maintain that confidence. That’s why we lowered the immigration thresholds by 20 per cent and that’s why it’s a priority,” she said.

Freeland said it’s no coincidence that the vice-chair of the committee she chairs is Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc. She also noted that Immigration Minister Marc Miller is part of the group.

“We have a plan and we are working to develop it further,” Freeland added, specifying that she was not ready to reveal details.

Earlier, Joly had also mentioned such a “plan” without outlining its contours.

Mr. Miller did not appear before reporters on Friday. He was also not present in the House during question period to respond to Bloc Québécois interventions questioning the government on concerns about migration from the United States.

Bloc deputy parliamentary leader Christine Normandin criticized Justin Trudeau’s Liberals for not wanting to act until a migration crisis has already taken hold.

“Is it really misplaced fear to want to avoid other Roxham roads ?,” she asked, referring to the makeshift crossing in Montérégie that was previously used by migrants to enter Canada irregularly with the aim of later seeking asylum.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon accused the Bloc of wanting to scare Canadians. “The Bloc Québécois keeps trying to bring up scenarios that are not at all in play. Our border services have a plan, have always had a plan and will continue to have a plan to ensure security at our border,” he said.

Liberal MP Francis Drouin added that Ottawa does not disclose operational details regarding the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the Border Services Agency for security reasons.

Economic issues

In any case, Ms. Freeland noted that economic issues are also a priority for the ministerial committee, while Mr. Trump has promised to impose generalized customs tariffs on American imports.

The Deputy Prime Minister did not fail to recall the episode of customs tariffs on steel and aluminum, during Mr. Trump's previous presidency, during which Canada responded “dollar for dollar” with retaliatory measures.

The Minister of Finance noted that she met with steel industry leaders on Thursday during a visit to the region of Toronto.

Mr. Trudeau, for his part, believes he demonstrated, during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the previous Trump government, “that American success is not in competition with Canadian success, but is complementary.”

The group of federal ministers dedicated to Canada-U.S. relations was resurrected earlier this week with a new composition. Such a committee had not met since Donald Trump left office in early 2021.