Ottawa (Rajeev Sharma): Prime Minister Mark Carney has firmly defended his recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, dismissing claims from the U.S. administration that he retreated from his remarks during a phone conversation with President Donald Trump.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, Carney said his position remains unchanged. “To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos,” he stated. “My remarks were clear and reflected a broader discussion. Canada was among the first countries to recognise the shift in U.S. trade policy that had begun, and we are responding accordingly.”
Carney confirmed that Trump called him on Monday and described the exchange as “a very good conversation” that covered a wide range of issues.
The prime minister’s comments follow remarks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who claimed Carney had “aggressively” walked back parts of his Davos address during the call. Speaking on Fox News on Monday night, Bessent said Trump had discussed the issue with Carney from the Oval Office.
When asked directly whether he had retracted any portion of his speech, Carney responded simply, “No.”
Carney’s Davos address attracted significant international attention and praise. In the speech, he cautioned against major powers using “economic integration as weapons” and warned that the “old order is not coming back,” without explicitly naming Trump or the United States.
Trump later reacted sharply to the remarks, saying Canada “lives because of the United States” and warning Carney to remember that “the next time you make your statements.”
In the days that followed, Trump threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on Canadian goods if Ottawa were to strike a trade deal with China, despite having described Canada’s agreement with Beijing as positive only days earlier. He also publicly mocked Carney by referring to him as a “governor.”
Carney has since reiterated that Canada is not pursuing a free trade agreement with China, seeking to ease tensions amid escalating rhetoric.
