Carney Shuts Down Jivani's Washington Freelancing
Prime Minister Mark Carney isn't impressed with Conservative MP Jamil Jivani's latest trip to Washington — and he wasn't shy about saying so.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Carney delivered a blunt message: Jivani can travel wherever he likes, but he won't come back with anything the Prime Minister doesn't already know.
"There is one negotiator with the United States, and that is the Government of Canada," Carney said, making clear that backbench cross-border diplomacy isn't something his government views as helpful or meaningful.
What Was Jivani Doing in Washington?
Jivani, the Conservative MP for Durham, has made a habit of visiting Washington during the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade tensions, positioning himself as someone with a direct line to Trump-world contacts. He has framed these trips as fact-finding missions aimed at helping Canada navigate an increasingly fraught relationship with its largest trading partner.
But Carney's response signals that Ottawa views these solo excursions with skepticism — or outright dismissal. The Prime Minister suggested that whatever Jivani might learn in those meetings is already on the federal government's radar, leaving little value in an opposition MP freelancing on trade diplomacy.
A Tense Backdrop
The exchange comes as Canada continues to manage the fallout from U.S. tariffs that have rattled industries from steel and aluminum to agriculture. Carney's government has been navigating a delicate balancing act — pushing back forcefully enough to satisfy Canadian voters while keeping diplomatic channels open.
In that context, the optics of an opposition MP conducting his own Washington tour are complicated. Critics argue it muddies the message Canada is trying to send. Supporters of Jivani's approach counter that building relationships across party and border lines is never a bad thing during a trade war.
Carney clearly falls in the first camp.
One Voice, One Table
The Prime Minister's framing — "one negotiator" — is deliberate. It echoes language used by trade officials worldwide when trying to prevent mixed signals from undermining a negotiating position. When multiple voices speak with different tones or priorities, it can be exploited by the other side.
For a government trying to project unity and strength in the face of U.S. economic pressure, a Conservative MP holding his own Washington meetings is, at minimum, a distraction.
Carney didn't call for Jivani to stop traveling. He simply made clear that Ottawa isn't watching with any particular interest — and that Canadians shouldn't expect any breakthroughs to come from those visits.
What Comes Next
Canada and the U.S. remain locked in ongoing trade discussions, with the stakes high for Canadian exporters, workers, and the broader economy. Carney has staked part of his political identity on handling the U.S. relationship with firmness and competence — and every distraction from that message is one he'd rather not deal with.
For Jivani and the Conservatives, the trips may serve a domestic political purpose regardless of their diplomatic impact — keeping the party visible on one of the top issues facing the country.
But if Carney has anything to say about it, the conversation that matters is happening in Ottawa and in official channels — not in whatever meeting rooms Jivani is booking across the border.
Source: CBC News
