Canada ‘never for sale’, Carney tells Trump

WASHINGTON (AFP): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that his country would be “never for sale” as they met at the White House amid tensions on tariffs and sovereignty.

In their first Oval Office meeting, Trump insisted to the recently elected Carney that it would be a “wonderful marriage” if Canada agreed to his repeated calls to become the 51st US state.

But afterward both leaders hailed the talks as having made progress — even if Carney said he had asked Trump in private to stop calling for Canada to join the United States.

“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney told property tycoon Trump, comparing Canada to the Oval Office itself and to Britain’s Buckingham Palace.

“Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever.”

Trump then replied: “Never say never.”

Liberal leader Carney, 60, won Canada’s April 28 election on a pledge to stand up to Republican Trump, 78, warning that ties between the North American neighbors could never be the same.