Let me begin by thanking Premier Lantz and the Council of the Federation for bringing us together, and for a very productive meeting of First Ministers.

This was our 14thmeeting since last March, and the fifth time we have met in person. At a time when then the world is more divided and uncertain, we are choosing to come together. We are choosing to build together.

We’re in Charlottetown, so I will harken back to Confederation, where more than 160 years ago, the Charlottetown Conference laid the foundation of this country.

It had many advantages, but as we look back, we recognise that that founding was imperfect. It excluded too many.

But it laid the stones on which we can build.

In the generations since, Canadians have improved upon it – extending the promise of this country to those it once left out and to those whom we have welcomed to our shores.

And we have defended it, through every crisis and tests.

As everyone knows, on Monday, the United States administration announced its intention to impose the latest in a series of unilateral and unwarranted trade actions.

Let’s be clear about how Canada is responding.

Yes, we are intensifying our negotiations with the United States in pursuit of a comprehensive agreement that addresses all tariff-related sectors.

In all circumstances, irrespective of the outcome of those negotiations, Canada will do whatever it takes to build our strength at home and support Canadian families, workers, farmers, and businesses.

We are ready because we have beenfocusing on what we can control.

That is building our strength at home, buying Canadian, backing Canadian workers, building Canadian. That’s the resolve of Canadians; that’s the foundation on which we’re building.

We’re a reliable partner in a world that’s anything but.

So we are diversifying our partnerships abroad. The First Ministers at this table have been central to that effort. Premiers have supported more than 50 trade missions since we last met in person in January, and over 130 since I became prime minister.

Our government has signed more than 20 new economic and security partnerships, because Canada has what the world wants and Canada believes in the benefits of free and fair trade.

We are also ready because of what we know in our bones: that our unity is our greatest strength and that our destiny is in our hands.

It is in that spirit that we have come together today.

We are taking action to ensure that our energy grid is more affordable, more competitive, and more secure.

We are accelerating major projects that will transform our economy for generations.

We are breaking down barriers to labour mobility and internal trade.

And we will continue to work together, with determination and strength, to protect Canadian workers and families, and to advance our national interests.

In addition to talking about trade, we spent a fair bit of time today discussing an electricity strategy.

For example, the purpose of our new National Electricity Strategy is to double our grid’s capacity and to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to every part of the country. Lower energy costs. Greater energy security. Fewer emissions. Building a strong, connected grid is how we will achieve all these objectives at once.

And there are already examples. This morning, our government announced an investment in new subsea power cables across the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. I thank premiers Lance and Holt for their leadership on that.

This is the kind of project that’s been needed for years. It’s the kind of project we need to build up more quickly.

In addition, today, premiers Holt, Houston, and Lantz signed an agreement to plan and operate their electricity systems together, and the federal government will support that work. This will increase reliability and lower costs, and will increase competitiveness for Maritimers.

Becoming an energy superpower – delivering those benefits for Canadians – means more than a connected grid. It means getting big things built, in every part of the country.

The agreements between the federal government and the Government of British Columbia, and the agreement with the Government of Alberta, clear the path for major projects in both provinces.

Projects in clean and conventional energy, in transportation, and in critical minerals. Projects that by themselves will catalyse well over $200 billion in direct investments in Canada and create almost 200,000 new jobs across the country.

These benefits will be shared widely – including with Indigenous Peoples as full partners – and will create resources for the social programs on which Canadians rely.

These are examples of cooperative federalism at work.

And we are just getting started.

And now, to stay competitive, we must ensure that the foundation is solid.

Canada must stimulate investment in both the clean energy and conventional energy sectors. Our carbon markets must also be designed to attract investment, reduce emissions over time, and keep our industries globally competitive.

Our government will work with the provinces and territories to update the various carbon pricing models.

We are also acting to take down the barriers that we have built that exist within this economy.

Today, we agreed to work toward an agreement-in-principle to adopt and model mutual recognition, to build one Canadian market that will let Canadians work wherever their skills are needed, drawing on the best advantages of provincial legislation. The Committee on Internal Trade will begin that work this summer.

If we get this right, a nurse licensed in Ontario who moves to Nova Scotia will be able to start caring for patients right away.

A manufacturer in British Columbia already approved to sell engineered wood for homes in Alberta will be able to sell it anywhere in Canada, instead of waiting years for that same approval.

It’s workers and goods moving freely that grows our prosperity.

My final point – As First Ministers, we share a fundamental responsibility: to keep Canadians safe. Premier Ford, when you hosted us last year in Muskoka, we had a robust discussion; a series of reforms that were needed to theCriminal Code, measures to improve community safety.

So, we have strengthened theCriminal Codeat the federal level. We passed six laws to combat crime and give law enforcement the tools they need. Toughened bail, toughened sentencing. And today, we endorsed a practical, joint action plan to continue to make communities safer, building on the progress we’ve made over the past year.

To conclude, we came to Charlottetown as First Ministers with a shared purpose to build a stronger, more prosperous, more independent, more resilient and united Canada.

In a moment when others would divide, we choose to build.

This is the federation working as it should.

We will continue meeting, and delivering, until the job is done: to build Canada strong.

Thank you very much. I am going to pass to the Chair of the Council of Federation and our host, Premier Lantz.