Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has publicly distanced himself from comments made by one of his own MPs, Jamil Jivani, who characterized Canada’s stance toward the United States as an “anti-American hissy fit.” The remarks were made during an unsanctioned trip to Washington where Jivani met with US Vice-President JD Vance, a longtime friend and former Yale University roommate.
Jivani, representing the Ontario riding of Bowmanville-Oshawa North, traveled to Washington earlier this month without official government authorization. In a subsequent interview with right-wing outlet Breitbart, he asserted that Canadians were “shooting ourselves in the foot” with their anti-US sentiments. These comments reference growing tensions following President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on key Canadian sectors and his characterization of Canada as the “51st state.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose Liberal government has adopted a defiant trade diversification strategy in response to Trump’s policies, clarified that Jivani had received briefings from Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc but traveled in an unofficial capacity. Jivani claimed he visited to assist Carney in trade negotiations and reported “productive meetings” with White House and State Department officials, including a personal message from Trump to Canadians.
Poilievre acknowledged the value of MPs using personal connections to advance trade talks but explicitly rejected Jivani’s terminology. “Canadians are legitimately upset by the unjustifiable tariffs and the comments that the president has made,” Poilievre stated, adding that Jivani “speaks for himself, and I speak for the party.”
The controversy emerges as Canada faces ongoing sector-specific tariffs from the Trump administration, plus a blanket 35% tariff on goods not covered by the trilateral free trade agreement with the US and Mexico, which is currently undergoing scheduled review set to conclude later this year.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has vehemently opposed Trump’s tariffs affecting his province’s auto sector, also criticized Jivani’s wording while acknowledging the importance of US engagement. “I’m happy when I see other premiers go down to the US and lobby,” Ford noted, “But no, I don’t call it a hissy fit.”