TRUDEAU IN TOUCH WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that he and presidentelect Donald Trump are off to a “strong beginning” anchored by the long, constructive relationship between Canada and the United States.

The two men spoke for a short time by telephone late Wednesday.

“Our conversation last night was brief,” Trudeau said in Sydney, N.S. where he marked the opening of a Veterans Affairs service office that had been closed by the Harper government. “I congratulated him for his victory. He expressed warmth toward Canada.

“I talked about how important the relationship is and has been, that I look forward to continuing to promote Canadian interests and, indeed, opportunities for all as we move forward as two countries that have a lot to do together. It was a brief call but a strong beginning to what is going to be a constructive relationship.”

Trudeau was asked how he explained the worst aspects of Trump’s behaviour during the campaign — his occasional bigotry, misogyny, and racism — to his seven-yearold daughter Ella-Grace. The PM did not respond and restricted his comments to their official relationship.

“It’s important that the prime minister and the president have a constructive working relationship,” he said.

Trudeau, his closest advisers and inner circle of cabinet ministers have been considering how Trump’s ascent could affect his legislative, economic and environmental agenda.

For example, Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, which voluntarily committed most of the developed world to greenhouse gas reduction targets. Trump has no plans to bring in any form of carbon pricing and will push to boost the U.S.’s oil and gas production.

Ottawa, on the other hand, has insisted all provinces will tax production of greenhouse gas emissions. On Thursday, Trudeau did not back away from that commitment.

“One of the things that people in Canada, and indeed around the world, understand is that there is tremendous economic disadvantage from not acting in the fight against climate change, for not pushing toward cleaner jobs and reducing emissions, towards not showing leadership at a time where the world is looking for leadership,” he said.