Conservative MP Jamil Jivani pleaded to Liberals for inter-party unity, but said the ‘timing and spectacle of recent floor-crossings appears to many Canadians as an effort from you (PM) to demoralize Conservatives and the millions of Canadians who voted for us.’
By Sheila Copps
First published in The Hill Times on February 5, 2026.
OTTAWA—Mr. Jivani went to Washington.
The relationship that Conservative MP Jamil Jivani has with American vice-president JD Vance is unique.
They met in university at Yale and became fast friends, with Jivani serving in Vance’s wedding party.
So, naturally, his visit to the American capital is garnering a lot more attention than that of a simple MP.
Jivani reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office, but was surprised when his invitation for the prime minister to join him was declined.
Jivani said he went to Washington to help negotiate a free trade agreement, a goal that has eluded the government this far.
Dominic LeBlanc, minister responsible for Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade negotiations, confirmed that his office briefed Jivani, but the government declined to send a representative.
For his party, Jivani criticized the Liberals for not accepting his offer to be a direct conduit to the team at the White House.
He also emphasized in multiple communications with LeBlanc, the PMO, and the Liberal caucus chair that his intention was to provide a Team Canada approach to the challenge.
But on the Conservative side, Jivani appears to be going it alone. Which begs the question: why did his leader not join him in the Vance arm-twisting initiative?
The timing of Jivani’s trip was also interesting.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has just come off a very successful party convention in Calgary where his approval rating by delegate attendees was even larger than that of former prime minister Stephen Harper.
One would think that this past week should have been one where the leader basks in the glory of his unprecedented party popularity. Instead, he appeared to be playing second fiddle to Jivani’s Washington orchestra.
To be fair, Jivani’s timing was likely guided by his attendance at the annual Washington National Prayer Breakfast.
At that gathering, all the key players in cabinet trade negotiations, Washington lobbyists and high-profile Christian influencers are present. Any issue they embrace is sure to have an effect on Canada-U.S. relations.
Conservatives are working hard to solidify their relationship with the Trump administration.
At the convention, Poilievre’s wife Anaida was referred to as the First Lady, a title that does not exist in this country.
Alberta separatists have recently revealed that they have been meeting with senior Washington officials in an attempt to work on their separation from Canada.
A Trump cabinet official recently pitched in, suggesting that Alberta would be a welcome 51st state.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has avoided any criticism of the separatists and is not even able to get members of her caucus to support Canadian unity.
She also worked to lower the bar for a referendum, and to make it easier for separatists to launch their campaign.
What she didn’t expect was the blowback from other Albertans. Former Progressive Conservative deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk beat the separatists to the punch with a petition seeking a referendum to stay in Canada. His petition has already been signed by more than 496,000 Albertans, far ahead of the required 293,000 signatures for a vote. The petition has already been certified as successful by Elections Canada.
Things have gotten so divisive in that province that Harper and former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien discussed the issue when they got together last week for a fireside chat in Ottawa.
Both reflected on the fact that another separatist threat looms in Quebec with the potential fall election predicting a return to power of the Parti Québécois.
Well-loved former premier Lucien Bouchard has already stated publicly that, if elected, the PQ should promise there will not be a referendum in the first term.
But the separatists’ drum rolling across the country is causing a stir in political circles across party lines.
In an event sponsored by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, both Chrétien and Harper stressed the importance of a united front when it comes to trade negotiations and Canadian unity.
Harper said that “I think the reality is if the federal government manages the country right, puts the stress on unity and not on ideological tangents there’s no reason why we can’t pull the country together at this moment.”
Jivani pleaded for inter-party unity in his outreach email to Liberals, but at the same time said the “timing and spectacle of recent floor-crossings appears to many Canadians as an effort from you (PM) to demoralize Conservatives and the millions of Canadians who voted for us.”
Jivani may not be able to turn things around in Washington. His first plea for unity should be to Alberta Conservatives who want to join the U.S.
Sheila Copps is a former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister and a former deputy prime minister. Follow her on Twitter at @Sheila_Copps.