Introducing the Members of Trudeau’s Freshly Appointed Council for US Relations

January 16, 2025 TruthUSA

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has assembled a council made up of former premiers and business leaders to assist him in navigating the upcoming U.S. administration.

The Council on U.S. Relations was announced by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Jan. 16, just days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Trump has raised the possibility of imposing 25% tariffs on Canada due to concerns about border security. Ottawa and the provinces have responded differently to discourage the new administration from implementing the tariffs.

The creation of this special council is Ottawa’s latest strategy to handle the situation more effectively.

“Comprising leaders in business, innovation, and policy, the Council members will leverage their expertise in their respective sectors to assist the Prime Minister and Cabinet during this critical period in the Canada-U.S. relationship,” stated the PMO.

The council consists of 18 individuals, including former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, and former Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil, who led the province as a Liberal from 2013 to 2021.

Charest was Quebec’s Liberal premier from 2003 to 2012 and also ran for the federal Conservative Party leadership in 2022.

Notley served as Alberta’s premier from 2015 to 2019 under the NDP. Notley resigned as MLA in Alberta last month. Her former chief of staff, Brian Topp, is also part of Trudeau’s council.

Among the non-elected federal officials with experience dealing with the previous Trump administration is David MacNaughton, a former co-chair of the Liberal election campaign in Ontario who served as Canadian ambassador to the United States from 2016 to 2019.

Steve Verheul, Canada’s chief trade negotiator during talks on the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in Trump’s first term, has also joined the council. At that time, Verheul was the assistant deputy minister of the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch at Global Affairs Canada.

Trudeau has enlisted his former national security and intelligence adviser Jody Thomas, who retired from the public service in January 2024.

Two current federal officials are also part of the council, including Senator Hassan Yussuff, the only appointed parliamentarian, and Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States.

Representing the automotive industry, Flavio Volpe, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, is also a member of the council. Volpe has long been a supporter of the Liberal party and is the son of the late cabinet minister Joe Volpe.

Other business group representatives include Tabatha Bull, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, and Martin Caron, president of Quebec’s farmers’ union.

Lana Payne, national president of Unifor, a private sector union with 320,000 members across various industries, is also part of the council.

The council includes three CEOs of individual businesses, including Tim Gitzel of uranium company Cameco, Linda Hasenfratz of manufacturing company Linamar, and Shahrzad Rafati of marketing company RHEI.

TV personalities and entrepreneurs from the reality show “Dragons’ Den,” such as Arlene Dickinson and Wes Hall, are also part of Trudeau’s council.

Investor Kevin O‘Leary, known for his role on “Dragons’ Den,” is not on Trudeau’s council but has expressed opinions on the U.S. tariffs issue. O’Leary recently advocated for a U.S-Canada economic union following Trump’s mention of using “economic force” to combine with Canada.

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