Letters to cabinet ministers mark beginning of Carney-era spending review

Former prime minister Stephen Harper says he’s urging Ottawa to find new trading partners outside the United States.Harper says he was approached by the government two weeks ago and advised Ottawa to work out a short-term deal with U.S. President Donald Trump while expanding trade in other markets.At a conference in Saskatoon today, Harper says Canada should be “independently responsible” for defending itself and should not rely on the U.S. military.