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Conservative MP Jamil Jivani is photographed in his office in Ottawa during an interview with National Post on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Hyungcheol Park for Postmedia)Article contentThe GM plant in Oshawa often feels like a mythical place. Long-time residents in the region tell stories of a time when it was a hub of prosperity for tens of thousands of families. They say, when shifts would end, there were so many GM employees that some roads would become one-way streets so workers could drive home in an orderly fashion.

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Oshawa’s GM plant is still a very important place, but far fewer Canadians work there today. The fighting spirit of a proud union remains in the face of layoffs and shift cuts.

Advertisement 1 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { const template = document.getElementById('oop-ad-template'); if (template && !template.dataset.adInjected) { const clone = template.content.cloneNode(true); template.replaceWith(clone); if (template.parentElement) { template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected = "true"; } } });Article contentLast month, when I visited the GM plant, I met a dedicated union leader. He was quick to share his disappointment with the news that Canada would soon be importing Chinese electric vehicles. He viewed this new trade agreement with China as a sign that the federal government is giving up on Canadian auto workers. He hoped I would fight for him and his colleagues. I promised to do my best.

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The concerns expressed by GM workers about Canada’s economy are shared by many. Private sector employment continues to decline (down 52,000 jobs in the last month alone) as the country is in what some economists describe as “recession watch.” In the face of these very serious challenges, trade issues with the United States continue to dominate Canada’s political discourse.

With this context in mind, I traveled to Washington, D.C. last week.

It was a whirlwind of a trip, full of excellent conversations. I had meetings with the White House and State Department, including conversations with President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Senators from Montana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, as well as the United States Trade Representative, each sat down with me to share their priorities. Businesses and industries employing thousands of Canadians shared their insights with me on where Canada-U.S. trade fits into their vision for economic growth.

Doors were open for dialogue about how Canada and the U.S. can work together at a time when pessimism gets most of the media attention. Certainly, my 15-year friendship with the vice-president played a key role in opening those doors. But what I found across the board was optimism about how we can move trade negotiations forward. I was particularly happy to hear key insights on how we can make progress on specific sectoral priorities, and the importance of strategic diplomacy. I offered my perspective on why CUSMA is so important to communities like mine in Bowmanville—Oshawa North, and I expressed my hope that CUSMA will continue to ensure Canada and the U.S. both benefit from a special economic and security relationship.

Jamie Sarkonak: New Liberal 'inclusion' council heralds more division Colby Cosh: Why can Quebec ask for judicial reform, but not Alberta? Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});Article contentThere is only so much I can share without first having the chance to speak with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister Dominic LeBlanc. Out of respect for their unique responsibilities in negotiating trade with the United States, it’s important that I debrief them before saying too much publicly and see how we can work together moving forward as Conservatives and Liberals.

Observers of this news would be right to worry that the current Canadian government may be making similar mistakes as were made under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the 2017 CUSMA negotiations. At that time, Mexico advanced its negotiations with the U.S. while Canada was largely left out of the process. It was only at the last minute, when a bilateral agreement between Mexico and the US was a real possibility, that Canada was included and our unique trilateral arrangement continued.

It would be a mistake to relive 2017 all over again, if for no other reason than Canadian workers and businesses deserve to have full representation in a process that has such a significant impact on our economy. The workers at the GM plant in Oshawa deserve to know that their government did everything possible to protect their jobs and encourage investment in their industry. All Canadians deserve to know that their elected officials are making the best effort possible to advance our national interests.

That’s where strategic diplomacy comes in. While the appeal of making this a partisan issue may be strong for some in Ottawa, especially as rumours of a 2026 snap federal election swirl, the reality is that the federal government’s current approach is hurting Canada’s ability to assert ourselves in important discussions about the future of North America.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper rightly pointed out that responding to Canada’s trade issues with the U.S. requires national unity. I would add that exceptional issues of this magnitude also require exceptional action.

My hope is that by taking a multipartisan approach to Canada-U.S. trade, Canada will benefit from truly strategic diplomacy that recognizes relationships matter. Trade agreements are not just an exchange of term sheets.

Jamil Jivani is the Member of Parliament for Bowmanville—Oshawa North

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