Protecting Canada’s sovereignty emerges as key topic at cabinet retreat

By Canadian Press on January 23, 2026.

QUÉBEC — Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet are using their second day of meetings in Quebec City to discuss safeguarding Canada’s sovereignty, says a minister at the retreat.

Speaking to reporters Friday morning, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon said ministers are focused on creating good jobs for Canadians and investing in key sectors to build “a safe, sovereign and secure, strong economy.”

“We are very excited that we’re working together to build our plan on a safe, sovereign country,” Solomon said.

The ministers are in the province’s capital for a second day of meetings ahead of Parliament’s return on Monday.

Carney is expected to answer media questions later Friday.

During the two-day retreat, Carney and his cabinet are hearing from experts in government, finance, community services, advanced technology and global affairs.

Speakers participating in the discussions include Thomas Juneau, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa’s school of public and international affairs, and Nadir Patel, chancellor at Wilfrid Laurier University, former high commissioner to India and former consul general to Shanghai.

Joelle Pineau, chief AI officer at Cohere, will also participate.

The federal government signed an agreement with Cohere in August to identify areas where AI can enhance public service operations.

Janice Stein, Belzberg professor of conflict management at the University of Toronto, is attending virtually from Toronto.

Carney kicked off the retreat Thursday with a speech arguing that staying true to Canada’s core values will be key to upholding its sovereignty in what he called a new age of great power coercion.

He also took the opportunity to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that “Canada lives because of the United States.”

“But Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” Carney said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”

Most ministers and secretaries of state dodged questions from reporters while walking into the meeting Friday morning.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand stopped to share brief remarks after Trump announced he had rescinded an invitation to Carney to join his new “Board of Peace.”

In a post on social media Thursday night, Trump did not explain why he was withdrawing Carney’s invitation to sit on the board, which was initially launched with the aim of helping to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction

In his post, Trump called the body “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”

His decision is the latest eruption in the relationship between Canada and the United States and comes just as a critical trade agreement is set to be reviewed.

When asked for comment about Trump rescinding Carney’s invitation, the White House referred The Canadian Press to the president’s post on social media.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Anand said Hamas “should have no role in the future governance of Palestine.”

“Hamas must demilitarize and disarm. There must be a ceasefire and Israelis and Palestinians must be able to live in peace and security side by side,” she said.

The minister said Canada will continue delivering humanitarian aid and she is “constantly” in touch with her G7 counterparts.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters Thursday that a key theme of the cabinet retreat is affordability. He called it the Carney government’s major “objective and mission.”

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

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press