Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Wednesday that U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s assertions that Canada should become the 51st state should be taken seriously, after he initially dismissed them as a joke.

OTTAWA — Canada should not overreact to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's comments about annexing Canada, but should still take them seriously, several federal cabinet ministers said Wednesday.

Donald Trump’s claim that the US doesn’t need anything from Canada is “simply false,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s energy minister and a potential candidate in the contest to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister.

Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc has decided not to run for leadership of the Liberal Party, saying he needs to focus on countering the threat of tariffs from Donald Trump’s administration.

Liberal MPs are gathering in Ottawa for a pre-scheduled caucus meeting with one objective in mind: finding a new leader.

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