Elizabeth May has responded to Donald Trump's suggestion that Canada should become the fifty-first state, making it clear that no such arrangement would ever be agreed to.
The Green Party leader also slammed the president-elect over his lack of knowledge regarding the system of government north of the forty-ninth, citing his brief attempt to get Wayne Gretzky to "run for prime minister."
"I took offence to your idea that Pierre Poilievre wasn't good enough to lead the Conservatives," May began. "Wayne Gretzky? I mean he's great, he is the Great One, he skates where the puck is going — it's not going to MAGA."
She went on to urge Trump to "get yourself a briefing on the nature of parliamentary democracy ... and a constitutional monarchy where no one runs for prime minister."
"We have elections for members of parliament," May continued. "We don't get to pick and choose among our billionaire friends for who gets a seat at the Cabinet table ... I suggest Mr. Trump find one of his grandchildren's school books and look at the year 1776, which may explain a few things about why our systems of government are different."
She then shifted her focus to the matter at hand, Trump's running gag about the United States annexing Canada.
"You think we wanna be the fifty-first state? Nah," she said. "But maybe California would like to be the eleventh province. How about it? California, Oregon, Washington?"
May stopped short of suggesting Canada should annex the aforementioned states, opting instead to call on their respective governors to put forth a referendum. To entice them, she cited Canada's healthcare system, comparatively low gun crime rate, and other aspects of Canadian society.
"We don't have to stop there," she continued. "You could get rid of all these states that always vote Democrat! You know what else, we'll take Bernie Sanders off your hands. Proud new Canadian citizen of the great province of Vermont. Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine; we'd love to see you."
Taking a more serious tone, May concluded by reminding Trump that Canada is "a sovereign nation full of ... proud Canadians."
"We love our country," she said. "It's a nation, and we do not aspire to be the fifty-first state, so let's not hear that any more. If it was a joke, it was never funny, and it ends now."