Mark, the 50% tariff deadline is tonight. You gave a briefing to the premiers as to how the negotiations are going. Initially, you got favourable responses from premiers, such as the premiers of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Of course Danielle Smith because it is not going to affect her at all.

But things are getting a bit messier, Mark. Wab Kinew, premier of Manitoba, came out swinging.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can’t make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?”

Kinew added that he would support the team Canada approach and he would possibly put US alcohol back on the shelves. But at the same time he urged Canadians to keep buying Canadian goods, including Canadian liquor.

Christine Frechette, premier of Quebec, gave similar comments about Donald Trump.

“As Donald Trump’s threats continue to loom over Quebec, my priority remains the same: to protect our workers, our jobs, and our businesses, and to avoid an escalation of tariffs.”

She added that she still needs more information, so she’s kind of waiting and seeing. She is in a bind because she’s facing an election and right now her party is losing to the Parti Quebecois. So any weakness she shows on Quebec economic interests will be used against her, immediately.

Mark, you also have Ontario. Doug Ford, who has so far been silent. The mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, a steel town and my hometown has been doing interviews the last day or so and he says the reduction from 50% to 25% on steel will do the steel industry no good

Mark, you have a high approval rating currently. A lot of that is due to your elbows up approach. Saying that no deal is better than a bad deal. Given the responses by the premiers of Manitoba and Quebec and most likely Ontario,

where a number of your seats come from, you need to tread very carefully. Canadians if they think there are too many concessions could turn on you. The problem is where would they go given Pierre Poilievre’s favourability rating of only 18%

That’s all I have.