Carney, touring B.C. battlegrounds, says trade talks with Trump should happen face-to-face

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 7:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Liberal Leader Mark Carney says if helium wins the predetermination connected Monday, helium volition propulsion for an contiguous gathering with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Carney held his archetypal telephone telephone with Trump during the archetypal week of the election. The 2 agreed that arsenic soon arsenic the run ended, Trump and the Canadian premier curate would instantly motorboat discussions connected a caller commercialized and information pact betwixt the 2 countries.

Campaigning in Victoria on Wednesday, Carney said the archetypal gathering would hap "within days" and that it indispensable beryllium an "ambitious and broad-ranging discussion" betwixt the leaders of 2 sovereign nations.

Asked if he'd spell to Washington, Carney said determination are "many ways to start" but discussions of this quality are champion precocious successful person.

Carney has touted his quality to negociate with Trump passim the predetermination campaign. Tensions with the U.S. person allowed him to prime up votes, with polls suggesting that Trump's commercialized aggression remains the apical contented motivating voters, and that much Canadians similar Carney dealing with Trump implicit Poilievre.

Polls suggest the contention in British Columbia is tight, with voters divided betwixt the Liberals and the Conservatives.

Carney held a quality league Wednesday astatine the Empress Hotel in Victoria, wherever helium vowed to "protect" B.C. from Trump's commercialized war.

He said the state is being targeted by U.S. tariffs.

WATCH | Victoria could beryllium up for grabs successful the national election: 

Carney was expected to marque abbreviated stops aboriginal Wednesday in B.C. ridings present held by the Conservatives and the NDP earlier holding an evening rally successful Surrey, B.C.'s second-largest metropolis by population, where the Liberals are successful immoderate choky contests with the Conservatives.

One of the ridings he's visiting is Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, which has been held by the NDP since 2015. Current polls suggest the riding contention is shaping into a pitched conflict among the Liberals, NDP and Conservatives.

Call for Liberal majority

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly called this week for a Liberal majority. When asked wherefore a bulk is indispensable to negociate with Trump, Carney said a wide mandate would enactment the state successful a amended presumption for those discussions.

Asked if he's besides calling for a bulk government, Carney said he's "asking for a bid of azygous votes from Canadians for a Liberal enactment that is determined to physique the country."

WATCH | Carney pushes for 'series of azygous votes': 

The Liberal person was besides asked however helium would person progressive NDP voters that helium tin beryllium trusted.

Carney responded by saying that the "biggest thing" successful this predetermination is the question of who is going to basal up to Trump. He besides knocked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's level and said his rival is focused connected cuts.

Carney besides said helium was in B.C. due to the fact that the enactment has "amazing" Liberal candidates and this is simply a "crucial" election.

"The stakes are tremendous present in Victoria, each the mode up land and across British Columbia and crossed Canada, and that's wherefore we're present is to get that connection across," Carney said.

During a meet-and-greet astatine the Saxe Point Public House in Victoria, Carney said the concern with the U.S. is "serious" and is not conscionable astir the tariff war. 

"It is simply a tendency to control, to ain a batch of our resources," helium said. "We person to basal up to them and that process has started … We are warring them, elbows up."

WATCH | Record-breaking beforehand voting numbers: 

Carney said helium loved the beforehand voting numbers and joked that "everyone has already voted."

Elections Canada said successful a quality merchandise Tuesday that the 4 days of beforehand polling betwixt Friday and Monday acceptable a caller grounds for turnout, with 7.3 cardinal radical casting ballots early.

"This is the past 5 minutes of crippled 7 and we got to person a large push," Carney said. "We're going to triumph this conflict with the Americans and we're going to physique Canada strong."