Conservative MP open to speaking with friend JD Vance if Liberals ask for help

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 7:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Conservative MP Jamil Jivani — who is besides a person of U.S. Vice-President JD Vance — says he's unfastened to helping the authorities during negotiations with the U.S. medication if the Liberals ask.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration, Jivani has been reasonably muted astir his close friendship with Vance.

But speaking to CBC's Power & Politics connected Thursday, Jivani seemed unfastened to utilizing his idiosyncratic transportation to assistance easiness Canada-U.S. tensions.

"If the Liberal authorities wants to find me, they cognize wherever I am," Jivani told big David Cochrane.

WATCH | Jivani discusses national election, Canada-U.S. relations:

The Conservative MP said helium is acceptable to enactment the state supra partisanship, but emphasized that the authorities needs to instrumentality the pb connected the Canada-U.S. relationship.

"The dynamic betwixt our 2 countries is conscionable not precise bully close present and I privation the Liberal authorities good successful moving connected that," Jivani said.

"I deliberation that's truly what needs to alteration successful bid for anyone to beryllium capable to help. The dynamic's got to get amended and of people folks successful Washington, D.C., request to marque immoderate changes successful bid for that dynamic to get better, too."

The MP said helium has antecedently spoken with Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador successful Washington, to connection immoderate insights.

Jivani and Vance became friends portion attending Yale Law School. Jivani performed the Bible speechmaking astatine Vance's wedding and the erstwhile Ohio legislator besides tapped his Canadian person to assistance tally his charitable organization, Our Ohio Renewal. 

"JD and I were friends earlier authorities and volition beryllium friends aft politics. But we bash person precise beardown governmental disagreements," Jivani said Thursday.

Jivani besides attended the statesmanlike inauguration successful January. In a missive to constituents earlier helium attended the inauguration, Jivani said he'll enactment to amended the "toxic" Canada-U.S. relationship.

Canada gets car portion tariff exemption

The Conservative MP was conscionable re-elected successful the riding of Bowmanville-Oshawa North — an country that is heavy integrated into the North American car industry.

Trump had threatened to deed non-American cars and car parts with 25 per cent tariffs. The levies were acceptable to spell into effect connected Saturday, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance released Thursday said automobile parts compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement connected commercialized volition beryllium exempt.

Jivani said Thursday that helium would bash what helium tin to assistance his constituents, portion reiterating that helium believes it's the government's occupation to instrumentality the pb connected the U.S. relationship.

"If the accidental came wherever I thought I would marque a affirmative difference, of people I would instrumentality it. I cognize my constituents would privation maine to," Jivani said.

"At this point, with a caller authorities elected, it's going to beryllium up to the Liberal Party and Prime Minister Mark Carney to pb connected behalf of Canada and I anticipation they volition person bully policies and a bully attack to look retired for these families affected by tariffs."

Carney and Trump spoke connected the telephone pursuing this week's election. The president said Wednesday that helium expects Carney to question to Washington successful the coming days. The Prime Minister's Office has not commented connected the nonstop timing of the visit.