Justin Trudeau and cabinet prepare for a major reset with Washington, D.C.

U.S. president announces meetings with counterparts to start talks on NAFTA, immigration, border security

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his federal Liberal government will confront the reality of Donald Trump in the White House as his cabinet members begin gathering Sunday in Calgary for a threeday retreat that will include discussions with an adviser to the new president.

Up to now, Trudeau has had a relatively smooth ride guiding Canada’s relations with the United States thanks to being so simpatico with Barack Obama — natural allies on climate change, with a close personal relationship that oozed brotherly affection.

Now the Liberals are girding for a major reset with Washington, which is expected to be the preoccupying pastime for Liberal ministers during their upcoming meetings.

Discussions will be held over the next few days including with Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of the Blackstone Group investment firm appointed in December to lead the president’s Strategic and Policy Forum, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Sunday.

Dominic Barton, head of Trudeau’s influential council of economic advisers, is also set to attend. Earlier this month, he cautioned that Trump’s pledges on trade and taxation must be taken seriously in Canada.

The Liberal government hopes to send a message to the Trump administration that Canada and the U.S. have a shared agenda, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr said Sunday in Calgary.

Earlier Sunday in Washington, Trump said he had scheduled meetings with Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and signalled negotiations will have to begin on NAFTA.

“I ran a campaign somewhat based on NAFTA,” Trump said. “But we’re going to start renegotiating on NAFTA, on immigration, on security at the border.” No dates have been set for the meetings. So far, the Liberals have taken reached out to the Trump’s transition team, “in order to begin conveying the importance of our economic partnership and the American interest in maintaining it,” said Roland Paris, Trudeau’s former foreign policy adviser.

Trudeau has already shuffled his cabinet to adapt to Trump appointing trade specialist Chrystia Freeland to Foreign Affairs, and retired general Andrew Leslie as her parliamentary secretary, thanks to his connection to a number of fellow former military commanders who got top jobs under Trump.

The Liberal government says it is seeking common ground with the Trump administration on promoting middle-class growth.

Prior to her promotion, Freeland was already making the rounds in Washington, talking to members of Congress and Trump’s transition team in her capacity as trade minister. Freeland met with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, now a Trump adviser, as well as Schwarzman.