Premier visits U.S. to pitch Alberta, make case for strong economic relations

Danielle Smith selling Alberta in the U.S. Danielle Smith has travelled to the U.S. to sell Alberta amid talks of tariffs. Chelan Skulski has the details.

Alberta's premier is in the United States selling her province's economic virtues.

Danielle Smith says her goal at the Western Governors' Association winter meeting in Las Vegas is to make Alberta's case and promote a strong Canada-U.S. trade relationship.

It's an association that's under stress as incoming U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to impose 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian goods when he takes office next month.

"We have been friends, and allies, we have fought together in wars," Smith said. " I think we need to come to the table with our considerable strengths."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday in Halifax he will "respond" if the U.S. moves ahead with the plan, hinting at counter-tariffs.

"We will, of course, as we did eight years ago, respond to unfair tariffs in a number of ways, and we're still looking at the right ways to respond," he said.

Trudeau's comments spurred a quip from Trump, who referred to the PM on social media as "Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada," in essence repeating an earlier joke that Canada could become their southern neighbour's 51st state.

Trump said in a taunting post to Truth Social early Tuesday it was a "pleasure to have dinner" with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate and that he looks forward to seeing the "governor again soon" to talk tariffs and trade, the "results of which will be truly spectacular for all."

Trudeau recently flew to Trump's estate in Florida to dine with the president-elect and some of his cabinet nominees for an informal discussion on trade and border security.

Smith described Trump as "hilarious" after he told the joke the first time, but Canadian federal cabinet ministers are failing to find it funny.

Asked about Trump's comments ahead of a federal cabinet meeting Tuesday, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said "it sounds like we're living in an episode of South Park."

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc attended that surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month, which came soon after the president-elect threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports unless Canada beefs up its border.

LeBlanc has said Trump was only teasing when at the dinner he suggested he could make Canada the 51st U.S. state.

"The president was telling jokes," LeBlanc told reporters a week ago. "The president was teasing us. It was, of course, on that issue in no way a serious comment."

Trump later shared a seemingly AI-generated image of himself standing on a mountain ridge with a Canadian flag planted in it, with the caption "Oh Canada!"

Trudeau has not matched that tone, warning in a talk on Monday that such steep tariffs would be devastating for the Canadian economy and describing Trump's approach as an attempt to destabilize negotiating partners by introducing a bit of chaos.

Trade expert Carlo Dade of the Canada West Foundation cautions provincial and federal leaders to be professional, patient and to stop giving in to Trump's every demand as it's not clear what exactly he wants.

"The Americans, so far, have played us. They have played us like they have not played anyone else," Dade told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

"Doing things like rushing to get sheriffs to the border is just what Trump wants. He wants panic. It's just not a thought-out response, it's not strategic and he knows he's got us by the shorts."

Smith, who plans to attend Trump's January inauguration, is slated to meet virtually with other premiers and the prime minister on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports.

It comes two weeks after the premiers' last meeting with Justin Trudeau, where they discussed how to respond to Trump's tariff threats.

With files from The Canadian Press