Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected the allegation of Canada's interference in the United States midterm elections as Republicans and Democrats slug it out.
"There is no merit to these claims, so I’ll call it out that way," Carney told reporters in Istanbul on Friday, expressing his disappointment over the suggestion by the American envoy.
In an interview with The Really Big Show podcast, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra accused Canadian politicians of meddling in the midterms.
The diplomat stated that the actions and utterances of several officials, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, could amount to interference in the polls.
"You have Minister Joly saying we are going to target tariffs in politically sensitive states," said Hoekstra, a long-serving Republican and former Congressman from Michigan.
Joly replied to the comment on Wednesday, insisting her interaction with bipartisan American politicians was normal. "What I’ve done in the U.S. is to attract investment," she explained.
Canada's Conservative Party Leader, Pierre Poilievre, recently toured Michigan, Hoekstra's home state, to advocate for tariff-free cross-border trade and an integrated auto industry.
On Tuesday, the Canadian government instructed its diplomats to "limit public events and stakeholder engagement during election periods" in their host country.
The guidance, reported by POLITICO, cautions against appearances with American lawmakers running in the elections but does not apply to officials who are not candidates.
The next day, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet that cited alleged bias by Minister Joly, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather over the past year.
Carney dismisses Canada 'interference' in US midterm elections