High-risk publicity stunt by Tory MP

“Minister LeBlanc gave a briefing to Mr. Jivani, who I don’t believe is the trade critic for the Opposition, certainly not the minister of international trade or the prime minister of Canada.”

— Prime Minister Mark Carney

Rookie Conservative MP Jamil Jivani is in Washington today, hoping to use his friendship with U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance in order to improve trade relations between Canada and the U.S. In a video posted on social media, he claimed that he has “something to offer to help build bridges of communication between our two countries” and says that “I’m reaching out to everyone I know.”

He adds that he believes Canadians want someone willing to “cut through all the posturing” to deliver results, including a trade agreement that promises stability and enables the Canadian economy to grow live up to its potential.

“I think that’s all we all want,” he says. “And that’s why I’m going to Washington.”

In order to achieve that goal, he says that he plans to meet with representatives of General Motors and other auto manufacturers. He also intends to attend today’s National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event attended by thousands of politicians and influential stakeholders.

Jivani also claims that he contacted Prime Minister Mark Carney in mid-December, offering to be part of the federal government’s team in its trade negotiations with the Trump administration, but that his offer was not responded to.

Undeterred by the government’s failure to accept his offer, Jivani has decided to go to Washington on his own, and apparently without the knowledge and/or consent of his own party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre.

That brings us back to the prime minister’s response, set out above, when asked about Jivani’s Washington trip yesterday. He correctly pointed out that Jivani isn’t even the Conservative trade critic. Beyond that, there is nothing in his resumé that suggests any expertise whatsoever on trade issues, let alone the complicated tri-lateral issues associated with the renegotiation of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement, known as CUSMA.

As many trade experts have pointed out over the past two days, that is a serious problem for both Jivani and Canada. Some argue that he does not possess the depth of knowledge relating to the current trade agreement, let alone various sectors of the economy, regional economic and political dimensions, as well as the economic and social impacts of various current and proposed trade agreement provisions.

Others question whether he has made any effort to meet with important stakeholders such as provincial and territorial premiers, national union leaders and business associations, and leading economists. How can he claim to represent the interests of those groups and their leaders if he has not consulted with them, let alone obtained their mandate to negotiate on their behalf?

Viewed from that perspective, the danger of Jivani unilaterally engaging in trade discussions with the Americans on our behalf creates a risk that goes beyond mixed and inconsistent messages. It creates the possibility that he will suggest that Canada is willing to make agree to terms that the government and other major stakeholders would never agree to.

The absence of a consistent, co-ordinated strategy could easily undermine Canada’s credibility at the CUSMA negotiating table, hurting our ability to achieve the best deal possible. Even worse, it could convince the Americans that Canadians are divided on important national issues — that we don’t agree on what we want and we don’t speak with one voice.

At a time when our nation is preparing for the possibility of separatist referenda in Alberta and Quebec later this year — and there is clear evidence the Trump administration is already interfering the Alberta process — the last thing Canada needs is an opposition MP going rogue and convincing the Americans that their strategy to divide us and make Canada America’s 51st state is working.

That’s the real risk in what Jivani is doing. In what can only be viewed as an ego-driven publicity stunt to elevate his personal profile, he risks doing serious harm to Canada’s economic interests and national unity.

If he truly cares about Canada, as he claims, he will end this misguided mission, return to Canada and let the people who have an actual mandate to negotiate — that’s Carney and the government team — do their jobs.