Thursday January 29, 2026 | OTTAWA, ON [Posted at 1:57 pm PT]
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today the Prime Minister and Canada’s premiers clearly had worked on intending to deliver the message of a team approach to strengthening Canada’s economy and protecting its sovereignty.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premiers of all 13 provinces and territories addressed media mid-afternoon Ottawa time (late morning Pacific Time) as a form of readout from their meetings of the past few days, and particularly their headline meeting today.
Canada’s first ministers say they are working together to build the provinces and territories in a strong, more resilient, prosperous and independent country.
“Everybody’s working gotegher because we love this country so much,”:” said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.
Trump trouble:
The geopolitical backdrop to all of this is of course the economic and sovereign threat that the intentions of the US Trump administration pose to Canada.
The viability of the Canadian economy and the existence of Canada as a sovereign nation are currently experiencing fragility under these conditions.
Pulling together with such collaboration as performed by the premiers today — notably in alignment with Canada’s Liberal prime minister — has become necessary in responding to Trump’s machinations against the success of Canada’s economy and nationhood.
Chair of the Council of the Federation, PEI Premier Bloyce Thompson, said that the premiers worked hard in the meetings this week in Ottawa to develop some “real improvements for Canadian to see and feel” in the Canadian economy and overall situation in dealing with sovereign threat.
“This is a country we have to fight for. There are lots of people who would like to take it from us,” said BC Premier David Eby in the press conference.
“We need to express that we will stand up for this country,” said Eby.
Regarding what appears to be obvious about Trump having an eye on annexing Canada in some way, one political pundit said on CBC TV today: “They clearly desire Canada in some form,” said Brian Clow, a former deputy chief of staff to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Separatist thread from Alberta:
Earlier today, BC Premier David Eby said that discussions by Alberta-separatist group representatives with US state department officials as to achieving independence for Alberta is a form of treason.
He described the word ‘treason’ as old-fashioned because he says it hasn’t had to be used for a long time.
Today Smith appeared to ‘doth protest’ against whatever her Alberta separatist representatives might be doing or saying in the United States.
Smith outlined how she would use officials channels to officially keep people in line. But for Eby that did not seem to ring true. Smith herself said today that she will not ignore the intentions (which happen to separatist) of about one million of the Albertan population (largely within her political base).
“That’s not part of our vision for Canada. In my opinion that is treasonous activity – it needs to be called out, it needs to be stopped,” said Eby about Alberta interests seeking support from a foreign government to disrupt Canada.
“We need to show them that Canada can work,” said Smith referring to what she says is 30% of Alberta’s population that “needs hope”.
Pipeline angst:
Smith perhaps made some modicum of progress in softening the blow of pipeline MOU-related strife between Alberta and BC yesterday; she sat in the same room (the prime minister’s office) with Eby and the prime minister.
Eby revealed yesterday that Alberta agrees to update the BC government on developments with the pipeline that Carney enabled through an MOU with Alberta in November 2025.
Carney pointed out today that data centres, nuclear power, electricity grid interties and creating a whole new industry in carbon capture and storage is also within the scope of the Alberta-federal MOU. Specific pipeline routes are not outlined, it’s about getting energy products to Asian markets, Carney added for clarification.
“There is a robust market waiting for Canadian energy,” says Smith.
Official business & progress to date:
The formal agenda for today’s 11th official First Ministers meeting included the obvious: CUSMA review (that will be starting soon), internal trade and trade barriers, and major infrastructure projects.
See: First Ministers’ Joint Statement (as posted by the Prime Minister’s office).
As part of the Team Canada initiative led by the federal government, trade missions have taken place internationally over four continents over the last six months. Team Canada trade and investment hub
Internal trade ministers will meet in March to unlock more labour mobility barriers, said Carney today. He listed off nurses, teachers, and tradespeople being able to take their skills where they want, saying that “right for them and is right for Canada”.
Eleven projects have been referred to the Major Projects Office in less than a year. The prime minister pointed out that as $16 billion in “potential transformative investment”. He highlighted a 60% capacity boost for the Port of Montreal.
A draft of a national electricity strategy has been developed by working with several provinces, said Carney today. The objective is to “more than double the size of Canada’s electricity grid and increase Canada’s energy advantage”.
Together the federal government and the provinces are developing new trade partnerships in many areas of the world.
“We’re starting as we mean to go on,” said Carney in concluding his formal remarks today.
===== RELATED:
- BC’s economic engine in Ottawa: Eby on pipeline, extortion, immigration (January 28, 2026)
- Premiers of Canada’s territories outline what the north needs (January 28, 2026)
- Canada’s premiers in Ottawa to discuss economy, projects & trade (January 28, 2026)
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit replaces GST rebate to help Canadians with affordability (January 26, 2026)
- Premiers to meet Jan 28 ahead of meeting with Carney: affordability, trade diversification (January 26, 2026)
- AI legislation & investment are key to a safe sovereign country, says AI Minister (January 23, 2026)
- Federal cabinet Winter 2026 planning on economy, affordability, security (January 21, 2026)
- Carney’s speech to economic elite makes global headlines (January 21, 2026)
- NEWS SECTIONS: COUNCIL of the FEDERATION | BC & NATIONAL | CANADA-NATIONAL | CANADA-USA | 45th PARLIAMENT of CANADA