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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday distanced himself from Jamil Jivani’s claim that Canadians are throwing an “anti-American hissy fit” over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and sovereignty threats, saying the Conservative MP “speaks for himself.”
Jivani travelled to Washington earlier this month to meet with his college friend, Vice President JD Vance, and other Trump administration officials in what he described as an attempt to “build bridges” between Canada and the U.S.
After he returned to Canada, Jivani told U.S. right-wing news site Breitbart that Canadians would be “shooting ourselves in the foot if we continue this anti-America hissy fit” and urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to work with him and the White House on resolving the trade dispute.
Poilievre told reporters in Ottawa he has spoken to Jivani about his trip and subsequent comments.
“My message (to him) is that Canadians are understandably upset about the tariffs and the comments that President Trump has made, and that we need to focus on what we can do here at home,” he said.
“He speaks for himself, and I speak for the party.”
Jivani represents a central Ontario riding that Poilievre acknowledged has been “disproportionately impacted” by Trump’s auto tariffs. The riding includes parts of Oshawa, home to General Motors’ assembly plant that recently cut a shift and laid off some 500 employees — a move expected to affect upward of a thousand workers across the supply chain.
GM has signalled intentions to follow automakers like Stellantis and shift its production to the U.S., a key goal of Trump’s tariff policies.
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“I think that it’s necessary for all MPs to use all the connections and work that they can in order to overturn the tariffs and protect Canadian jobs,” Poilievre said. “So I encourage all MPs to fight the tariffs and stand up for Canada.”
Global News reported earlier this month that some member of the Conservative caucus were upset with what they viewed as Jivani’s “freelance” diplomacy with the Trump administration.
It’s also not clear if Jivani’s trip was sanctioned by Poilievre’s office, which has not responded to questions about his U.S. travels.
Jivani is not the party’s “shadow minister” for foreign affairs, international trade or Canada-U.S. trade.
Jivani said earlier this month he had “productive” meetings with Trump’s administration. He said on social media that he met with representatives of the White House and U.S. State Department and that the president asked him to pass along a message — to tell Canadians he loves them.
In a video posted to social media, Jivani said he expects criticism from “frothing, elbow-waving anti-American activists” but he thinks Canadians want someone willing to “cut through all the posturing” to deliver results.
He later described his meetings with American officials and lawmakers as “very productive, promising and positive.”
“I’m feeling hopeful and optimistic that we can get something really good done for Canadian workers and businesses,” he said. “Might take some time, but I really believe that the doors are open here.”
That later video came days before Trump threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Ontario and Michigan in a social media post that complained about Canada treating the U.S. unfairly on trade and other issues.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters Tuesday he was happy to see Jivani go to the U.S. but that he disagreed with his recent comments.
“I don’t call it a hissy fit,” Ford said. “What I call (it) is making sure that we communicate with the American people.
“No one would even know who Jamil Jivani was unless I hired the guy in my office,” Ford added, referring to the fact that Jivani once worked as an adviser to his government. “I didn’t know him from a hole in the ground.”
—with files from Global’s Alex Boutilier and the Canadian Press
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