Jamil Jivani Charts Independent Course to Secure Trade Deal, Cites “Economic Crisis”

Conservative Member of Parliament Jamil Jivani has announced he is travelling to Washington, D.C., on what he calls a personal mission to aid Prime Minister Mark Carney's government in negotiating a trade deal with the United States.

In a social media video published Tuesday, the MP for Bowmanville—Oshawa North stated his trip is an act of non-partisan cooperation, initiated after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre offered help to the Liberals on the trade file.

Jivani framed the mission as a serious effort above the political fray.

“The reality is that this is not a partisan issue,” Jivani said. “CUSMA and trade with the United States is so important to the Canadian economy... that conservatives and liberals don't need to fight over this at all. In fact, we need to work together.”

He positioned himself as a figure who could cut through political noise, citing his U.S. education and contacts.

“I take this issue seriously, and as a guy who went to law school in the United States and has a strong network there, I think I have something to offer to help build bridges,” he stated.

The MP spent much of the nearly five-minute video dismissing potential critics of his cross-partisan move. He expressed frustration with the state of political discourse, saying,“I'm sick and tired of the ‘posturing and the virtue signaling.’”

He specifically anticipated backlash from what he termed “the frothing, ‘elbow-waving, anti-American activists,’” adding, “I just don't care.”

Questions of Protocol and Focus

While Jivani's stated goal is economic stability for Canadians, the unusual nature of a backbench MP undertaking a solo diplomatic initiative raises immediate questions. No details were provided on who he plans to meet in the American capital, what specific mandate he carries, or how his efforts will be coordinated with Canada's professional diplomatic corps and the Trump administration.

Jivani also used the video to voice alarm on other economic issues, criticizing the idea of doing more business with “China and ‘communist governments’” and the importation of electric vehicles “while we have a crisis in our auto industry.”

He pointed to community support for auto workers in his riding as evidence of suffering from “economic uncertainty, the tariffs, and the lack of a good trade relationship.”

A Broader Political Calculus?

The announcement comes as the new Carney Liberals prepare for what are expected to be complex and tense renegotiations of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Some political observers may question whether an MP's independent public foray could complicate, rather than clarify, Canada's unified negotiating position.

Jamil Jivani ended his message by directly appealing to the public over the heads of potential critics. “I think you deserve people who are going to cut through all the noise... and just try to deliver something good for you and your kids,” he said.

As of publication, there has been no official statement from the Prime Minister's Office or the Conservative leader's office regarding Jivani's self-declared mission. The MP is presumably en route to Washington.