Opposition leaders blast Trudeau for inaction as Trump’s tariffs take effect
Canada’s opposition leaders are pressuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to act as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian exports take effect.
Canada’s opposition leaders are pressuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to act as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian exports take effect.
Trump has imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on energy, citing fentanyl and border security concerns.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he had been calling for action from the Liberals to reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S. but argued that their inaction has “left us helpless.”
Poilievre hosted a press conference where he outlined his seven-point plan to counter Trump’s tariffs. He added that the Liberals hadn’t done enough to address the fentanyl crisis but that it still didn’t justify the tariffs.
“There is no doubt that our economy will suffer, but so will yours,” said Poilievre. He added that despite advocating for retaliatory tariffs, they should not be a cash cow for the government and that every penny should go towards tax cuts, with a small portion set aside for relief for those hardest hit.
Poilievre also condemned the Liberals for proroguing Parliament until Mar. 24, delaying a legislative response until a few weeks after the party’s leadership race concludes.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is looking to put an end to that by calling for an emergency recall of Parliament.
He penned a letter to the other leaders Tuesday morning, urging that Parliament be recalled. In the emergency parliamentary session, Singh wants to put forward a package of measures, including pandemic-style relief payments, emergency funding for manufacturing and housing projects, and retaliatory tariffs.
While Singh has previously tip-toed around whether he would bring the Liberal government down through a non-confidence vote, he said now was not the time.
“I understand that we are all preparing for an election to be called soon. But these steps need to be taken immediately, prior to an election. Otherwise, we are leaving Canadians vulnerable to the impacts of tariffs to suffer for months as an election is held and a new government is chosen,” said Singh.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet was one of the leaders to whom Singh addressed his letter.
Blanchet said that Trump’s strategy was ultimately to attract businesses to the U.S.
He called on Canada, Mexico, and Europe to work together to bolster trade and security.
“Trump’s chaotic tactics will come back to haunt him,” wrote Blanchet in a post to X. “Americans will suffer inflation, isolation, mistrust, and lies. In Quebec and Canada, those who stand up with intelligence and courage will win.”
On the day the tariffs were announced, Trump wrote on Truth Social that if companies moved to the United States, they would not face any tariffs.
However, Trudeau warned that Canada would respond with 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs against $155 billion of American goods.
He said that Canada had answered many of the demands made by Trump, such as implementing a $1.3 billion border plan, appointing a Fentanyl Czar in February, and listing seven major crime organizations and cartels as terrorist groups, also in February.
Trudeau said these measures resulted in fentanyl seizures decreasing 97 per cent between Dec. 2024 and Jan. 2025 to 0.03 pounds.
“Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. trade action is withdrawn, and should U.S. tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures,” said Trudeau. “While we urge the U.S. administration to reconsider their tariffs, Canada remains firm in standing up for our economy, our jobs, our workers, and for a fair deal.”
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A day late and a dollar short.
This whole dilemma can be traced back to Trudeau and the Liberal Party's faulty and destructive policies.
Their self-serving agendas over the last decade have very little to do with the good of Canada or it's neighbor to the south.
This is just the comeuppance from that neighbor, where Canadians have yet to respond with voting out the Liberal Party.
The NDP are just as guilty for enabling the Liberals to do what they've done.
Good read. But Canadians know as well as Trump / that Liberals statement of 1.3 Billion dollars is false. Can’t spend what isn’t voted on in parliament. And Parliament is closed. So - tariffs are the Liberals fault for window dressing the issue. The provinces have done things. The feds have not.