Former prime minister Stephen Harper urged the Liberal and Conservative parties to unite against two major threats to Canadian sovereignty: an imperialist president to the south and separatist movements in Alberta and Quebec.

Speaking at the unveiling of his official portrait on Parliament Hill, Harper argued that policy disputes should take a backseat to protecting the country's independence and unity. He insisted that Canada must be willing to make any sacrifice required to stay whole.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Mark Carney praised Harper for his work in bridging regional divides. Harper and former prime minister Jean Chrétien also issued a joint plea to revive Canadian patriotism and focus on national unity.

Chrétien warned that Donald Trump "would like to take it over," describing the U.S. president's foreign policy as erratic and a sign of a massive global shift. He noted that the Clarity Act, the law setting out the conditions for a province to leave Canada, makes secession much harder to achieve. For his part, Harper joked that he "didn't sign the petition" for a referendum on Alberta's independence.