Premiers were told to take threats of annexation seriously, says Furey
N.L. premier says U.S. officials told him President Trump isn't joking
Newfoundland and Labrador's premier says White House officials told him and other premiers U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about forcing Canada to become the 51st state — and Andrew Furey says Canada needs to fight back.
Last week the 13 premiers were in Washington D.C. in a talking to U.S. officials about how tariffs on Canadian goods, which are currently paused, would also harm Americans. A separate 25 per cent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports is scheduled to come into effect on March 12.
"Unfortunately, in the meeting at the White House, the officials confirmed that he is very serious about the 51st state comments," Furey told CBC News Network on Monday.
"But we don't even have to take their word for it. We can take the president of the United States word for it directly."
Trump has reiterated the threat several times now, and Furey said it may have started off as a social media joke, but Trump has doubled down on it and turned it into a sustained attack on Canada.
"I do believe that this president in particular has an imperialistic agenda, one of expansion. And we need to take that as Canadians very seriously," said Furey.
His comments come after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic telling business leaders that Trump's threat was "a real thing."
Furey said it goes beyond being only an economic threat, and into a threat to Canada's sovereignty, values and identity.
Furey said he was present with the premiers when White House officials said that they should take the 51st comments seriously, which he called a "chilling statement." He added they were told not to dismiss it as humour.
"He means what he says and he says what he means."
Walking away from the meeting, Furey said he realized it might be wise to pause the ongoing negotiating strategy in order to reconsider how to move forward.
"Diplomacy and capitulation and appeasement is not going to work with this president. We've seen it. You know, he shouted about the borders in December, we fixed the borders, but here he is," said Furey.
He said both provincial and federal levels of government are aligned when it comes to the issue of Canadian sovereignty.
"The strategy moving forward, I don't think we should be discussing in public," he said, believing it weakens Canada's negotiating position.
Looking to N.L.'s past
Furey said Trump's attacks are two-pronged, an economic threat from a trade war and an attack on Canada's sovereignty.
"While they may be related, they seem to be becoming different in the president's head. And that is concerning to me, as you see his rhetoric amp up in these situations," he said.
People watching these events unfold may be worried about annexation and military action forcing Canada to relinquish its independence, but "that's actually not usually how it happens," said Furey. "Since the turn of the century, there's usually economic conditions that force dilution of sovereignty or relinquishing sovereignty."
Furey said the issue of sovereignty isn't abstract in N.L., as 75 years ago the dominion voted to become a Canadian province.
"There was no tanks on Duckworth Street. There was no aircraft carriers in Placentia Bay. It was because of economic forces that we gave up our sovereignty and joined Canada."
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With files from CBC News Network