Conservative MP Shuvaloy Majumdar urged Mark Carney to make decisive moves to strengthen Canada-U.S. trade negotiations following recent talks in Washington.

The pressure comes as Canada seeks to secure a favorable outcome in the CUSMA review. The outcome of these negotiations will dictate the stability of cross-border commerce and the economic relationship between the two nations.

Majumdar spoke during an interview in Edmonton on Wednesday regarding the government's approach to U.S. President Donald Trump. He said the government has yielded too much to U.S. demands and needs to adopt a firmer stance to protect Canadian interests.

"We need to see some backbone from the government; Carney has to make big decisions if we want a good deal," Majumdar said [1].

The comments follow a round of negotiations held in Washington this week. While the Canadian delegation sought to stabilize trade terms, Conservative critics argue the current strategy lacks the necessary leverage to prevent concessions.

Mark Carney addressed the status of the talks in a separate report. He said that while the negotiating team made progress in Washington, there is significant work remaining before an overall agreement is reached [2].

Carney's role in these negotiations has become a focal point for the opposition. The Conservatives maintain that without a shift in strategy, Canada risks a deal that favors U.S. interests over domestic economic stability.

Discrepancies exist regarding Carney's current official title in reporting. While some sources identify him as Prime Minister, other reports list him as the finance minister [1], [2]. Regardless of the title, the opposition is targeting his leadership in the trade portfolio as the primary driver for the current negotiating trajectory.

“"We need to see some backbone from the government; Carney has to make big decisions if we want a good deal."”

The friction between the Conservative opposition and the current administration reflects a deeper ideological divide on how to handle the transactional nature of trade under the Trump administration. By calling for 'backbone,' the Conservatives are signaling that they view the current government's diplomatic approach as too conciliatory, suggesting that a more confrontational or rigid negotiating style is required to maintain Canadian sovereignty in trade agreements.