Mark Carney to deliver remarks on Canada’s ‘choices’ and ‘values’ in Quebec City

QUEBEC CITY — Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to deliver remarks on Thursday “on the choices on which Canada was built and the shared values that make us Canada strong” before meeting with his cabinet in Quebec City, according to his itinerary.

His public comments are his first since

a widely praised speech he delivered at the World Economic Forum

in Davos on Tuesday where Carney declared the death of the old “rules-based international order” and exhorted countries to speak out against bullies and “hegemons”

Carney’s speech elicited

a chilly but brief response from U.S. President Donald Trump

who, during a 70-minute address in Davos on Wednesday, claimed that Canada — and its prime minister — should be “grateful” to its southern neighbour.

“They should be grateful to us, Canada — but they’re not. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

But Carney’s speech was met with a standing ovation in the room and drew direct praise from so-called “middle powers” including Mexican and Australian officials.

Mexican President

Claudia Sheinbaum called it a “very good speech”

that is “in tune with the current times,” while Australian Treasurer

Jim Chalmers said it was a “stunning speech”

that is being “widely shared and discussed” inside his government.

Now that he is back in the country, Carney is expected to hammer his message about his government’s priorities for the new year directly to Canadians. However, the prime minister will not be taking questions from reporters after his address, according to his office.

Notably, Carney will be making his remarks at the Citadelle of Quebec, a fortress which was built by the British army in the early 19th century to resist an American attack that ultimately never came. Today, it remains an operational military base for the Royal 22nd Regiment.

On Thursday and Friday, Carney and his ministers will be taking part in a cabinet retreat — which his government has renamed “Cabinet Planning Forum” — to prepare for the year ahead.

Thursday afternoon, Carney and his ministers will be hearing from Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, Scotiabank’s Rebekah Young, as well as Kirsten Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada, for a panel on affordability.

They will also be getting an economic and fiscal overview of the country by Frances Donald, chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada, and Jean Boivin, head of BlackRock Investment Institute.

Parliament is set to resume its work on Monday after a seven-week winter break.

National Post

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