Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province is home to much of Canada’s auto industry, is warning Prime Minister Mark Carney against reducing the 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles during Carney’s trip to Beijing next week.
Steven Chase reports that Ford said today that China should instead set up EV factories in Ontario, like the electric bus assembly plant a Chinese EV maker opened in Newmarket, Ont., in 2019.
Canada triggered a trade war with China after imposing steep levies on Chinese EVs in 2024 in tandem with then-U.S. president Joe Biden’s administration.
Beijing retaliated with hefty tariffs on Canadian canola, seafood, pork and other products that are hurting producers and harvesters in Canada. The tariff on canola seed, a major crop in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, is more than 75 per cent.
Carney heads to China on Jan. 13 and will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit.
The Prime Minister is seeking to patch up ties with Beijing after a severe diplomatic rupture, as his government looks for new export markets to reduce Canada’s dependency on an increasingly protectionist United States. Canada’s decision to bar state-owned Chinese companies from investing or operating here over the years has also strained relations.
In other news, victims’ families will mark the sixth anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in Iran with events in Ontario and British Columbia.
The plane was shot down on Jan. 8, 2020, by two Iranian missiles just minutes after taking off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents of Canada.
The association of families of Flight PS752 victims is hosting a ceremony in Richmond Hill, Ont., and says other events are planned in Windsor, Ont., and Vancouver.
Open this photo in gallery:
Prime Minister Mark Carney listens as Premier of Ontario Doug Ford speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill on Dec. 18, 2025.DAVE CHAN/AFP/Getty Images
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What else is going on
Canada reports trade deficit in October: Official data today indicated that the share of exports to the United States fell to its lowest-ever non-pandemic level.
Former AHS head faced intimidation: The former head of Alberta Health Services says she has been subjected to a campaign of intimidation since she launched a wrongful-dismissal lawsuit against the province last year.
Canadians worried about Caribbean travel plans after U.S. attack on Venezuela: Travel advisers say they’ve been fielding questions from people worried about losing money on winter getaways to destinations such as St. Lucia, Aruba and even Mexico.
Edmonton doctors seek state-of-emergency declaration as hospitals overflow: Physicians at the city’s major hospitals are seeking action from the Alberta government because they say there is no more room to safely accept patients.
Canada asks South Koreans, Germans for auto-sector production pledges as part of submarine bid: A source familiar with the matter said Canada has asked the South Koreans to arrange a commitment for Hyundai to establish production in Canada and for Germans to beef up Volkswagen-related auto industry production here.
Ontario to spend $1.5-billion on underwater electricity cable: The project, known as the Third Line, would connect Toronto to the first nuclear power plant built in the country in more than a generation.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: No public events, but Mark Carney spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on strengthening Euro-Atlantic security in the face of ongoing threats, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Party Leaders: In Vancouver, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was scheduled to attend an evening fundraising event at the Terminal City Club. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Quote of the Day
“I don’t even know why they’re going to the Supreme Court. I think it’s a bunch of crazy lefties that want to protect one tree or two trees or three birds and they’re bringing it to the Supreme Court.” – Ontario Premier Doug Ford, at a news conference in Toronto today, comments on the Supreme Court of Canada hearing a challenge of the law that opens the door to the redevelopment of Ontario Place.
Question period
Who was the oldest person sworn in as Canada’s prime minister and how old was he?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
A history lesson on the future of living beside the U.S.
Most Canadians are determined to resist annexation. But at least in the medium term, this country must accept that globalization and continental integration are waning. Canada is likely to return to an era in which we share a continent with the United States, trade with each other, and maintain a wary friendship with our very large neighbour, even as we are subjected to some form of American tariff wall.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Is there still a place in the world for the Nobel Peace Prize?
Now, self-interested leaders around the world – from Pakistan and Israel to Cambodia and Malta – have intentionally dangled the award as a bauble to try and convince U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in various matters. Efforts to pander to Mr. Trump, including the creation and awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize to the U.S. President by the soccer federation’s sycophantic chief Gianni Infantino, further pervert the Nobel’s mission.
— Lloyd Axworthy is a former foreign minister, chair emeritus of the World Refugee and Migration Council, and the author of books including his memoir, My Life In Politics. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.
No, Indigenous people are not coming to take Canadians’ homes
If Canada wants to put its “elbows up” against Mr. Trump and his expansionist moves, then it is time to build on the foundations of the relationship built into our history. The Canadian courts, the Cowichan decision and the others before them are pushing forward in the right direction. Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Canadian government and the provinces all have the opportunity now to move forward by working on major national projects and infrastructure with First Nations, respecting and abiding by the true nature of our relations.
— Tanya Talaga, Columnist
Go deeper
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The answer to today’s question: Charles Tupper, prime minister from May to July in 1896, was 74 when he was sworn in. Tupper died in 1915, aged 94. He and his wife, who died in 1912, had settled in the English town of Bexleyheath. Tupper’s remains were returned to Halifax, and he was buried at a cemetery in the city.
