Canada's top envoy to Washington apologizes for sending English-only invitation

Canadian Ambassador to the United States Mark Wiseman waits to appear before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

WASHINGTON — Canada’s top envoy to Washington apologized Thursday for sending an English-only invitation to members of Parliament at a committee meeting in Ottawa where he faced questions about supply management and the state of trade negotiations with the United States.

“This was an error, an unacceptable error,” said Mark Wiseman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States.

Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier Thursday said he was disappointed the invitation to members of the foreign affairs committee to attend a reception in Washington next month was English-only. The prime minister called it unacceptable.

Wiseman took up the diplomatic role in the United States capital in February as President Donald Trump continued to rattle the bilateral relationship with tariffs and threats of annexation.

His appointment was a controversial one in Quebec because of his previous comments criticizing Canada’s supply management system.

Wiseman faced repeated pushback Thursday from Bloc Quebecois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe and Conservative MP Jason Groleau, who asked whether the ambassador would be able to advocate for supply management in the face of Trump’s repeated complaints about the system.

Wiseman said his role is to support the policies of the government of Canada. Carney has been clear, as has Parliament, that supply management is not on the negotiating table, he said.

“Whatever my opinion may have been is irrelevant,” he said.

Wiseman said that, along with Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette, he has been communicating Canada’s concerns about Trump’s tariffs and other issues with his American counterparts.

LeBlanc met with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington last month -- a meeting which was seen by some as a sign of a thaw in Canada-U.S. relations. Trump froze trade negotiations with Canada last year because he was angered by an Ontario-sponsored ad quoting former president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.

But Ottawa still has not started formal negotiations with the United States ahead of the looming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA.

Greer was in Mexico earlier this week for talks on the trilateral agreement.

Mexico and the U.S. announced the first official CUSMA bilateral negotiating round will take place with the United States next month. Mexican and American officials had already been meeting in Washington.

Greer has criticized Ottawa’s approach and said trade talks with Canada are lagging behind. In testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Greer said Canada is “doubling down on globalization when we’re trying to correct for the problems of globalization.”

“So those are two models that don’t fit together very well,” he said.

Wiseman was asked at committee whether Ottawa is deliberately slow-walking the negotiations and if there’s a risk Canada will be left out as Mexico-U.S. talks continue.

“Canada is ready and willing to commence any type of review process with the United States and also with Mexico,” Wiseman said. “We are ready to do that and are prepared to do so.”

Conservative MP Kyle Seeback said the Trump administration has indicated it’s ready to talk.

“What’s the holdup?” he asked.

Wiseman repeatedly said he would not provide details of talks and does not yet know when negotiations will officially begin. He said there is ongoing communication about Trump’s sector-specific tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, automobiles and cabinetry.

Carney said earlier Thursday Canada is ready to go into detailed negotiations and “we’re also ready to wait if that’s what has to happen.”

Wiseman, previously a global investment banker and pension fund manager, replaced Kirsten Hillman, a longtime civil servant and trade policy expert who served at the embassy in Washington for eight years, including six as ambassador.

Hillman was also Canada’s chief trade negotiator, a role now held by Charette.

Wiseman said that while he plays a part in the negotiations, his job is to promote the interests of Canada across the United States. That means building relationships with stakeholders, he said.

Wiseman said he’s met with American lawmakers, members of the Trump administration, and business and labour groups.

American’s don’t wake up thinking about Canada, Wiseman said, and it’s important to remind them of the importance of the economic, defence and personal ties between the two countries.

Canada’s relationship with the United States is not over, Wiseman said, but it clearly has changed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2026.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press