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Carney: Canada's ties to US have become a weakness
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country's ties to the United States have become a “weakness” that must be corrected. This comes as Canada’s auto, steel and lumber industries remain under threat due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. "The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression," Carney said in a video posted to YouTube. Carney framed the video as a chance to talk to Canadians directly about the threats the country faces and said he would give regular updates on the country’s diversification efforts. "Security can't be achieved by ignoring the obvious or downplaying the very real threats that we Canadians face," Carney said. "I will never sugarcoat our challenges. Instead, I'll talk to you directly and regularly about the plan." Even as tensions between Trump and Carney have eased, the Canadian prime minister has sought closer economic ties with countries like China to reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S.. “We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner,” Carney said. “We can’t control the disruption coming from our neighbours. We can’t control our future on the hope it will s
Canada
Carney vows to tackle affordability and suspend fuel tax
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to tackle the cost of living and suspend the fuel tax in response to the Iran war in his first act after securing a majority government. Liberals now hold 174 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons of Canada, after winning key by-elections in three electoral districts. In a statement following the election win, Carney said the suspension of the fuel excise is expected to reduce Canadian’s bills at the petrol station by 10 Canadian cents per litre on regular gasoline and 4 cents on diesel. “We’re building a stronger, more resilient, and more independent Canadian economy,” Carney said. “As we build, we’re cutting your taxes, reducing the costs of your homes, and providing you relief at the pump.” Following Monday’s results, the Liberal Party could stay in power until 2029. Carney’s government is also the first in Canada’s history to switch from a minority government to a majority between national elections. His win in last year’s election was fuelled by public anger over U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats, as Carney vowed to reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S.. Opposition conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, expressed dissatisfaction with the process
Canada
Canada has 'no intention' of free trade deal with China
Canada does not plan to pursue a free trade deal with China, said Prime Minister Mark Carney, after United States President Donald Trump threatened to add a 100% tariff on Canadian goods. Canada agreed to lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles earlier in January, in exchange for China doing so on Canadian canola products. “If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.,” Trump wrote over the weekend. “We have commitments under CUSMA not to pursue free trade agreements with non-market economies without prior notification,” Carney told reporters. CUSMA, also known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA, is a free trade agreement between the three countries that took effect in 2020. “We have no intention of doing that with China or any other non-market economy.” Under Canada’s agreement with China, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs to be imported with a tariff of 6.1%, down from the 100% tariff imposed alongside the U.S. in 2024. China will lower tariffs on Canadian canola seed from 85% to 15%. Canada also hopes to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030, it said. Trump had praised this agree
Canada
Trump ends trade deals with Canada after services tax
UPDATED: After failing to advance stalled trade negotiations with the United States, Canada ditched its digital services tax targeting U.S. technology firms late on Sunday (Monday AEST). The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump will resume trade negotiations by 21 July, Canada's finance ministry said. Earlier, Trump declared that he had ended trade talks with Canada following the implementation of their digital services tax. In a post to Truth Social, Trump criticised the digital service tax and announced that extra tariffs will be imposed on Canada, claiming they are “a very difficult country to trade with”. “Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately,” he said. “We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period.” Canada’s Digital Service Tax (DSTA) came into force in June last year, and is a levy on tech revenues generated by Canadian users, even if the providers do not have a physical presence in the country. The first payments of the levy were due on Monday, 30 June 2025 and were meant to be retroactive to revenues
Canada
Canada's PM Carney moves to align with Europe on defence
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he hopes to sign a major European defence rearmament plan by 1 July. The remarks were made on CBC’s Power and Politics following the Speech from the Throne, which committee his government to join ReArm Europe, a plan created aimed at bolstering European defence capabilities. Joining would mark a major step towards reducing Canada’s dependency on the U.S. for weapons and munitions. "Seventy-five cents of every dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That's not smart," Carney said. Carney took office before the spring election and has been in conversation with the European Union since then about joining the plan. The plan expects the nations on the continent to spend C$1.25 trillion on defence over the next five years. "We're making great progress on that, and by Canada Day, we'd like to see something concrete there," Carney said. Not long after Carney made these remarks, Donald Trump took to Truth Social, claiming that Canada is considering joining the U.S. defence system. “I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, b

Canada
King Charles III's visit to deepen Canada's sovereignty
King Charles III is set to make history in Ottawa on Tuesday, becoming the first monarch in nearly 70 years to deliver Canada’s Speech from the Throne. The visit comes at a pivotal moment, as Canada faces rising tensions with the United States. This is following Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada should become America’s 51st state. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently won a general election, invited the King to underscore Canada’s sovereignty in the face of mounting pressure. The Throne Speech, traditionally delivered by the Governor General, outlines Canada’s legislative agenda. It will include a strong emphasis on trade, sovereignty, and economic resilience. The King’s presence is seen as a symbolic support for Canada’s independence. This reinforces its constitutional monarchy at a time of geopolitical uncertainty. The speech is expected to reject Trump’s annexation rhetoric while reaffirming Canada’s commitment to global trade partnerships. The visit will be brief, but highly ceremonial. It will feature a carriage procession with full military honours, a tree-planting ceremony at Rideau Hall, and wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The King and Queen Camilla will also attend community e
Canada
Canadian cabinet focused on economy, US trade relations
Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his cabinet, with a strong focus on the economy and United States trade relations. The ministry has been confirmed, two weeks after the election, with a total of 24 new faces present, including 13 first-time MPs, and with a total 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state. Despite plenty of new blood, several remain from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, including Melanie Joly, Chrystia Freeland, Anita Anand, Gary Anandasangaree, Sean Fraser and Dominic LeBlanc. However, housing, immigration and energy have been given to first-time ministers, after the Trudeau administration faced heavy criticism for those portfolios. Anand is the new foreign minister, Joly was shifted from foreign affairs to industry, Anandasangaree is no longer justice minister but will handle the role of public safety, a department that will oversee border security, which Trump has cited as a key reason for imposing tariffs on Canada as well as Mexico.Credit: Prime Minister of Canada via XThe portfolio of international trade has been handed over to Toronto-area MP Maninder Sidhu and David McGuinty, who previously held the border security position, will now oversee defence,
Canada
Carney's Liberals secure fourth-term victory in Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberal party have won Canada's federal election, securing a fourth term for his Liberal party. The Liberals have 169 confirmed seats, followed by the Conservatives with 144, meaning they will form a minority government. The Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre had looked certain to win until three months ago, before facing a tide change following the start of United States President Donald Trump's term and subsequent tariffs on Canada and unpopular calls for the nation to become the 51st state of America. The Liberals were 20 percentage points behind in surveys conducted in January, before Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down from the top job. Poilievre has also lost his seat in the Ontario district of Carleton to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy after holding it for 20 years. In his victory speech Carney said that Canada's “old relationship with the United States…is over”. "The system of open global trade anchored by the United States, … [which] has helped deliver prosperity for our country for decades, is over. These are tragedies, but it's also our new reality."
Canada
Canadians head to the polls in contentious election
Canadians are set to head to the polls tomorrow (AEST) in an election that has been transformed by United States President Donald Trump. At the start of the year, it seemed like the Liberal party was on its way out with leader Justin Trudeau becoming increasingly unpopular. This handed their conservative party rivals a lead in the polls; however, after the party vote, Mark Carney was selected as the new leader, the Liberal party regained momentum. One of the most contentious issues in the upcoming election is who can deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. Since Trump entered the White House, he has implemented 25% tariffs on many Canadian goods and belittled Canada saying he wanted to make it the 51st U.S. state, which Carney has strongly opposed. “The president brings this up all the time. He brought it up yesterday. He brought it up before,” Carney said. “To be clear, as I’ve said to anyone who’s raised this issue in private or in public, including the president, it will never happen.” Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre rose to popularity last year for his response to an affordability crisis and inflation under Trudeau. However, these plans have since become unpopular echoes of Trump, according to Abacus Data