Carney defends inviting India's Modi to G7 summit as Liberal MP calls it 'a bad idea'
PM says he's talked with Indian PM about killing of Canadian Sikh separatist
Prime Minister Mark Carney again defended inviting India's prime minister to the G7 meeting in Alberta, saying it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are "big challenges" to discuss.
Carney made the comments on Wednesday after meeting with a member of his caucus who told reporters that including Narendra Modi is a "bad idea."
Canada-India relations have been on shaky ground since former prime minister Justin Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023.
Nijjar and others in that movement have been calling for an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called Khalistan, which Modi's government has vigorously opposed and denounced as a national security threat.
"We've made progress with India in a bilateral sense. They are OK with having a legal process between law enforcement entities," Carney said in a French interview with Radio-Canada, referring to some sort of possible co-operation between Canadian police and Indian authorities over Nijjar's murder.
"There is a process in B.C. concerning the killing of a Canadian citizen that is ongoing, and that will continue. India knows that," Carney told Patrice Roy.
Asked if he's spoken to Modi about Nijjar and the ongoing police investigation, Carney said: "Yes, I have."
Carney said Canada wants to discuss energy security, critical minerals and the development of artificial intelligence — three of his stated priorities for this meeting of world leaders — and it's "hard to have those discussions without India."
Canada holds the G7 presidency this year and has a "responsibility to have a table that can discuss big challenges," he said.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed Wednesday that leaders from all G7 countries along with Brazil, South Africa, India, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Ukraine, Mexico and Australia — plus the NATO secretary general, UN secretary general, the European Union secretary general and the head of the World Bank — will be in attendance for at least part of the proceedings in Kananaskis.
B.C. MP Sukh Dhaliwal, meanwhile, told reporters he met with Carney early Wednesday to express what he says are constituents' frustrations with the decision to include Modi.
"The RCMP has clearly stated there's credible evidence Indian agents were involved in the assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil," Dhaliwal said of Nijjar. "It's a bad idea" to include Modi, he said.
Canada expelled some Indian diplomats after the Nijjar allegations were made public. The government has said there are "linkages" between the four Indian nationals arrested and charged with Nijjar's murder and the Indian government.
Dhaliwal said Carney is "very strong" on the issue and will represent Sikh concerns about Indian interference and transnational crime when speaking to Modi.
"I'm saying it's not a good idea, but now he's invited. We have to move forward," he said.
Another Liberal B.C. MP, Gurbux Saini, also said his voters are "concerned" about the invitation.
Beyond the Nijjar killing, the Foreign Interference Commission's final report also identified India as a top meddler in Canadian affairs.
The commission reviewed intelligence suggesting Indian-aligned proxies may have clandestinely provided financial support to various Canadian politicians to try and get more pro-Indian candidates elected.
The report also found that India has used "disinformation" to further its goals in Canada.
Liberal MP Karina Gould, a past cabinet minister and leadership contender, said human rights should be on the agenda when Carney meets with Modi.
She also criticized the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who will not attend.
"I understand why they were invited. Part of diplomacy is having these conversations — you don't shut the door to them," Gould said. "But we're also standing up for values that are important to Canadians."
The Modi invite is a sign Carney may be looking to reset relations with India after a particularly "fractious" period under the last Liberal government, said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University.
"It's sending a positive signal," Hampson said in an interview with CBC News.
And there are signs India may be open to a rapprochement because Modi accepted the invitation "immediately," Hampson said, unlike Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum who took days to consider whether to go or not.
India is the world's fifth-largest economy, a "major regional actor" in the Indo-Pacific and an increasingly important player on the global stage, and bringing Modi here for the G7 is a way for Carney to signal he's taking Canada's foreign policy in a different direction, Hampson said.
He said a multilateral gathering like the G7 "does give the prime minister some cover" from domestic critics.
"It would be very different if it was an invitation for a bilateral heads of government meeting in Ottawa. At least this can be done under the cloak of the G7," Hampson said.
The push to diversify the economy is why other Liberal MPs were deferential to Carney and his decision to include Modi.
Canada is facing an economic "crisis" with U.S. relations at a low point, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said, and Canada needs to "collaborate" and "work out some of the issues" with India.
MP Yasir Naqvi, the parliamentary secretary to Sidhu, said "there's no excuse for the very serious allegations around extrajudicial killings," but said the meeting is an opportunity for the two leaders to "engage" on the larger issue.
"This only happens if there's a relationship between our governments," Naqvi said.
"Canada is trying to open the door on relationships and say, 'We need to diversify our trade vastly,'" added MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.
"The message to the world is Canada is a vibrant trading partner."
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier this week that India is "one of the biggest and fastest-growing economies" in the world. India is a promising potential market for Canadian liquefied natural gas and nuclear power technology, among other products, Poilievre said, and that sort of trade depends on improving relations.
"We need to work with India … on trade and security," he said. "The invitation is necessary."
Meanwhile, NDP MP Heather McPherson said Modi's inclusion is "deeply alarming."
"This government has consistently and very clearly chosen profits and the economy over human rights, over people," she said. "Profit over people. That's their mantra."
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