MP Jamil Jivani is back from Washington. Here’s what some of his constituents think about the trip

MP Jamil Jivani headed home to his riding of Bowmanville—Oshawa North on Friday after several meetings in Washington, D.C. 

His itinerary included meetings with his university friend U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and automotive manufacturer General Motors. Some 1,200 workers were laid off last week when the automaker cut one of three shifts at its Oshawa plant. 

Jivani, who is Conservative, said he went on the trip to help Prime Minister Mark Carney negotiate a trade deal with the U.S. 

“This can be the beginning of a truly, non-partisan approach to working with the United States,” he said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Jivani was briefed by Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, but said the government has "extensive" and "constant" contacts with the U.S. administration.

Jivani has been optimistic about meetings he’s had, in posts on X. Among them, on Friday he said he had “positive conversations” about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement with GM, though it's unclear what impact he will have on negotiations. While he has a relationship with the vice-president, he is an opposition MP and is not part of the Conservative shadow cabinet. 

CBC News reached out to Jivani's office for details about whom he has met with. In response, the MP's chief of staff Joseph Gainey provided links to two of Jivani's posts on X, as well as an interview published on Semafor, an American news site, on Wednesday. That interview says Jivani had "unofficial talks" with Vance, his wife Usha Vance and Rubio.

In Jivani's riding of Bowmanville—Oshawa North, constituents were split on the trip. While some said it was a positive move that capitalizes on Jivani's connections across the border, others called the trip a political stunt that will have little impact on trade negotiations.

Emerson Riedler says if more politicians are working to secure a deal with the U.S., that can only be positive. He said Jivani’s friendship with the vice-president could provide a solid foundation for discussions aimed at improving Canada-U.S. relations. 

“I don’t see why leveraging that relationship to potentially build a better trade deal is a bad thing,” he said. 

Dean Link, who also lives in the riding, said it makes sense for Jivani to be involved in discussions across the border, since U.S. tariffs are hurting autoworkers he represents. 

“If you are an MP in an area that’s being affected by [tariffs], you should have some sort of involvement and be there to represent your constituents,” he said. 

But resident Rob Halpin called the trip “political theatre.” He said he thinks Jivani is attempting to boost his profile, rather than helping his constituents. 

Jivani should be in Oshawa, pushing for policies that protect Canadian jobs and strengthen domestic manufacturing, he said.