Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today it's a fairly momentous day in the Canada-US trade relationship. Donald Trump has imposed his tariffs, and Canadians are reeling from the consequences. Markets are reeling from the consequences. And our future is increasingly uncertain. I know the Premier's been front and center with Team Canada on protecting our nation's interests and Northerner's interests. Can he provide an update to this House now that these tariffs are a reality. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. we have all heard the news that the President of the United States has decided to implement tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Prime Minister Trudeau has stated that he has initiated counter tariffs on our side of the border and with additional counter tariffs coming in a few weeks, depending on how things go. For our part here in the Northwest Territories, we've directed the NWT Liquor and Cannabis Commission to cease all procurement of American products. We have directed the department to refrain from procuring anything from American companies wherever possible. We're looking at how to end our contracts with Starlink. And we're going to continue to do anything else we can to support Team Canada and Canadians and Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that this epp today, shockingly, I think, that this effort of this -- of this trade war is to weaken Canada's economy to make it easier for the Americans to annex us into the 51st State. These are very shocking comments. Has the Premier been able to speak to the Prime Minister and just get a sense of how real that threat it? The NWT is, of course, in the Arctic, and that's a prize for the Americans clearly. Is this -- how serious is this threat, and what are we doing to prepare for it? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we've had almost weekly conversations, all the Premiers and the Prime Minister. I actually had to leave the call early to come down to the House today, so we were just meeting. And I don't think there's a lot of nuance in what the President has to say about annexing Canada. I think if you read what he's saying and if you listen to what he says, it sounds like he's serious about it. And I think that people across Canada in all levels of government now realize that, and we need to do what we can to ensure that, you know, we stay united and we stay strong economically. We don't want the Americans to be able to use economic force or coercion to weaken our federation to the point that, you know, we are at risk of annexation. And, frankly, Mr. Speaker, I don't see that happening. I don't -- I can't imagine a world where the Americans are in control of Canada. It's just not something that I think any of us can fathom. It doesn't mean that we won't need to protect against that possibility and that we as Canadians, you know, we might have to put up with some pain based on these tariffs. It might be a difficult few years for us. But I know that we're going to stay united, and we're going to resist. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm really appreciative of these comments and the Premier's leadership on this. Premier Ford today also said he would do absolutely everything to protect Ontarians and Canadians, tearing up contracts, putting surcharges on energy, barring critical minerals. Is the Premier willing to pay any price to protect Canada and the Northwest Territories' sovereignty? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I listened to what Premier Ford has to say sometimes, and I wish I was able to say a lot of those same things, but the fact is we don't have that type of economy. We don't have those types of direct exports to the United States to be able to make those types of threats. We're not currently exporting any critical minerals to the United States, and so we're in a much different position. That being said, I'm confident that as Canadians we can come together, and we can both support Canadian businesses and ensure that the Americans are feeling the negative impacts of boycotts and of the counter tariffs so that we can overcome the situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
