Indigenous Services minister says economic reconciliation essential amid Canada-U.S. trade war

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 1:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

As the caller national authorities grapples with however to tackle the increasing commercialized warfare betwixt Canada and the U.S., Patty Hajdu says a cardinal accidental to fortify home economies lies with reconciliation.

While much than a twelve positions person been chopped successful Prime Minister Mark Carney's thin 24-person furniture — down from 39 members nether erstwhile Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — Hajdu has maintained her relation arsenic curate of Indigenous Services.

Hajdu was archetypal elected arsenic MP of Thunder Bay—Superior North successful 2015 and became curate successful 2021. She was besides formerly the curate liable for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, but this relation has been merged nether Carney's authorities nether 1 economical improvement bureau portfolio.

"It's a precise large honour to proceed to service successful this relation and successful this peculiar cabinet, which is the furniture that's needing to respond to, I think, a important situation … 1 of the largest crises of our lifetime," Hajdu told CBC News successful an interrogation connected Friday pursuing the swearing-in ceremonial astatine Rideau Hall.

WATCH | PM Carney delivers archetypal code aft being sworn successful astatine Rideau Hall 

Amid escalating tariffs and taunts from U.S. president Donald Trump that Canada volition go the 51st state, Hajdu admits that Canada's 30th ministry has a daunting task astatine hand.

"We request to be, arsenic a country, self-sufficient. We request to beryllium beardown economically, we request to diversify our commercialized partners and we, of course, request to support Canadians on that journey," she said.

For her, 1 of the cardinal ways to bash that is to fortify Canada's relationships with Indigenous radical and enactment alongside them to adjacent the country's productivity spread and prehend much section opportunities for growth.

"In bid to execute those goals, each azygous idiosyncratic successful this state has to person a pathway to scope their afloat potential," she said.

Promoting Indigenous businesses, tourism and training

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a political-territorial enactment that represents 49 First Nations crossed Treaties 9 and 5, issued a connection Friday to congratulate Carney connected his caller role.

While NAN says "substantial progress" was made nether Trudeau's authorities — including enactment astir kid payment betterment — "the Liberal enactment run lacked substantive speech astir national responsibilities to First Nations."

"Our communities request to cognize that the challenges they are facing volition beryllium met with action, and that authorities to beforehand their interests volition beryllium prioritized," NAN said successful its statement.

NAN besides welcomed the instrumentality of Hajdu arsenic curate of Indigenous Services, and of Gary Anandasangaree arsenic curate of Crown– Indigenous relations and bluish affairs Canada.

When it comes to the commercialized war, Hajdu said the authorities indispensable support its procurement targets that let thousands of Indigenous businesses to merchantability to the Government of Canada.

"Of course, we person to bash that cautiously and we person to guarantee that we person a robust strategy to marque definite that it is benefiting, successful fact, Indigenous people," she said.

Fostering the country's increasing Indigenous tourism system is different fruitful area, she added.

But astir important is making definite First Nations, Métis and Inuit radical person equitable avenues for acquisition and training, said Hajdu, "so that each Indigenous idiosyncratic successful this state understands that they person purpose, value, anticipation and safety."