Canadian lawyer and politician, MP for Beauséjour since 2000; Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs since 2020
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has scheduled an Oct. 19 vote asking whether the province should stay in Canada or take legal steps to hold a binding referendum on leaving. Prime Minister Mark Carney has defended cooperation with Alberta and emphasised federal work on a Pacific oil pipeline to address provincial concerns.
Canada has formally urged a timely USMCA review and signaled possible extension options as tariffs and trade tensions ripple across North America. Leaders in Ottawa and Washington stress the pact’s value while debates over annual reviews or a 16-year extension intensify.
The United States has declined to renew the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement in its current form and has begun annual reviews instead. Washington has said it will continue talks with Mexico and Canada to address trade deficits and "shortcomings." The pact remains in force and will expire in 2036 unless countries agree changes.