Conservative MP Jamil Jivani will be travelling to Washington, D.C., to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration and begin setting the groundwork for a potential Conservative government’s relationship with the U.S.
Jivani won a landslide victory in a GTA by-election in March last year and was named as a likely future cabinet minister by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre if they form government.
In an email statement shared with True North, Jivani said the inauguration of Vice President JD Vance would be a “special moment” for him as the two have been “good friends” for almost 15 years as they were friends in law school.
Vance publicly supported Jivani’s call to protect Christians in Canada on X last month.
Jivani said he even performed the Bible reading at Vance’s wedding in 2014 and when the now-Conservative MP was battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2018, Vance checked on Jivani’s family.
“But I am not there just to congratulate my friend. I am also there to begin the steps in what will be a long and laborious process to build and strengthen relationships between Canada and the United States,” he said in the email.
He blamed the strained US-Canada relationship on the failures of the Liberal government which has been in power for nearly a decade.
“The tumultuous time that Canada’s economy is in right now is the direct result of a toxic dynamic between the Trudeau Liberals and the first Trump administration, going back to the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement and CUSMA trade negotiations in 2017 and 2018,” Jivani said.
Poilievre has similarly criticized the Liberal government under Trudeau for its failures during the USMCA trade agreement. In November, he said he would never have signed the deal as it left Canada open to 10% tariffs under specific conditions,s including national security.
Jivani said in the email that while in the U.S. he will help strengthen the U.S.-Canada relationship by talking to every policy-maker, business leader and government official he is able to speak with.
“The damage that Liberals are doing to Canada means it will not be a simple task to improve Canada-US relations. Positive change is unlikely to happen overnight,” Jivani said. “But those who can do so must play their part in laying a foundation for the two independent countries with distinct histories and traditions to respect each other and work together.”
He said he’s immensely grateful for Canada and will share his appreciation for Canada “every chance” he gets.
“I am a proud Canadian. I know that my life would not be possible anywhere else in the world,” he said. “Where else could the son of a single mother grow up to overcome illiteracy, become a lawyer, survive stage IV cancer, and now be elected as an MP in the House of Commons?”
Jivani isn’t the only Canadian politician to attend Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced her plan to attend Trump’s inauguration in person last month. A spokesperson for the premier told True North that she will be attending events at the Canadian embassy and the inauguration while there.
The spokesperson for Smith said that after the inauguration, Smith hopes to meet with energy groups, congresspeople and various officials.
