‘I meant what I said:’ PM Carney stands by Davos speech despite U.S. claims

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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing by his speech at the World Economic Forum last week, despite claims from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration that he “aggressively” walked back some of his comments during a phone call.

“To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president. I meant what I said in Davos,” Carney said to reporters on Parliament Hill on Tuesday. “It was clear. It was a broader set of issues that Canada was the first country to understand the change in U.S. trade policy that he had initiated, and we’re responding to that.”

• ‘Best speech by a world leader ... in a very long time’: Carney’s Davos address draws global attention
• ‘Remember that, Mark’: Trump issues warning to Carney in speech to World Economic Forum

The prime minister, who confirmed Trump called him on Monday, also said the two leaders had “a very good conversation on a wide range of subjects.”

Carney’s comments come after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed the prime minister “aggressively” walked back parts of his speech during Monday’s call.

“I was in the Oval (Office) with the president today. He spoke to Prime Minister Carney, who was very aggressively walking back some of the unfortunate ⁠remarks he made at Davos," Bessent said in an interview ‍on Fox News’ “Hannity” program on Monday night.

When asked specifically whether he did retract parts of the speech, as Bessent claimed, Carney said “no.”

In the speech, which garnered international praise, Carney warned against great powers using “economic integration as weapons” and said that the “old order is not coming back,” but didn’t call out Trump directly.

• Carney slaps down Trump’s claim that Canada ‘lives’ because of the U.S.
• Trump disinvites Canada from Board of Peace in open letter to Carney

After the speech, Trump reacted to Carney’s address, saying “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Days later, Trump threatened to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian goods if Canada “makes a deal with China.” This was despite calling Canada’s agreement with China “a good thing” just days prior. He also taunted Carney, calling him “governor” for the first time.

Carney has since insisted Canada is not seeking a free trade deal with China.

Conservatives call for transparency

After official meetings or calls between world leaders, the Prime Minister’s Office often releases readouts to the public on the substance of the conversation.

Carney, however, has admitted in the past to having private calls and texts with Trump, saying in September that he speaks with the U.S. president “regularly.”

Conservative-Ontario MP Michael Chong is calling for more transparency, saying “The PM must clarify what is going on.”

“Canadians deserve the truth. Many of these questions would be answered if the Prime Minister simply adopted the longstanding convention held by previous Prime Ministers that when two world leaders talk, they publicly release a readout of that conversation,” Chong said in a statement to X on Tuesday.

“It is unacceptable that Canadians and journalists learned of this recent call from American media.”

The White House also has not issued a readout of Trump’s call with Carney.