Carney meets one-on-one with Trump before G7 meeting officially kicks off

I’m Ashley Burke, a senior reporter with the parliamentary bureau, in Kananaskis today at the G7 summit site.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is attempting to Trump-proof the G7.

He’s not even going to try to get leaders to sign a joint communiqué, typically issued at the end of these summits. Instead, a senior Canadian official says they’re opting for short, action-oriented statements.

The move is an attempt to prevent a disaster like the last time Canada hosted in 2018. That G7 in Charlevoix, Que. — when Justin Trudeau was prime minister and U.S. President Donald Trump was in his first term — ended in disarray.

Trump rescinded his support of the communiqué and lashed out at Trudeau, who, in a post-summit news conference, vowed to retaliate against U.S. tariffs at the time. (The outburst caught Canadian officials off-guard, as the prime minister had made similar remarks before.)

Former Trudeau adviser Jason Easton worked on the U.S.-Canada file in later years. He said history has shown when Trump is at a G7, it’s hard to reach a consensus on a statement.

“We’ve seen how that can disrupt the G7, particularly at the end,” Easton said. “What Prime Minister Carney is doing, what he’s done from the start of his administration, is focus on actions, focus on deliverables. And I think he’s taking a very businesslike approach to finding those areas where G7 leaders can agree we are going to jointly pursue action.”