P.E.I.'s response to U.S. tariffs is missing key elements, says Opposition

Opposition party politicians on P.E.I. say the provincial government's response to the 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods imported into the United States lacks urgency and substance. 

On Tuesday, the Progressive Conservative government pulled all American alcohol from its liquor store shelves and outlined the first phase of its plan to combat the U.S. trade war. It lays out a number of measures to support businesses and explore new trading opportunities in the hope of providing relief to those who will be hurt. 

But the opposition expected more. 

"The response is not just weak, it's negligent," said Hal Perry, the interim leader of the provincial Liberals. "Islanders deserve transparency and not just vague promises from this government. So I really believe that this government is taking their eye off the ball." 

Perry pointed out that the discussions around the potential impacts of these tariffs have been taking place for months — starting under the leadership of former premier Dennis King, who resigned on Feb. 20. In fact, this isn't the first time the province has removed U.S booze in retaliation. 

Perry said he was expecting a more detailed plan this time around, under Premier Rob Lantz.

"I would like to see a contingency plan put in place, allocating a specific amount of dollars put aside," he said. 

"They had the time to put a solid plan in place to react with these tariffs, so Islanders would have some security knowing ... the government of this Island had their back. And I didn't get that from their message."

'Money in people's pockets'

Green Party MLA Matt MacFarlane said he understands the benefits of doubling the number of trade missions to find new markets — one of the measures Lantz announced on Tuesday. But he would like to see more immediate help for those who'll need it. 

"Those trips don't result in immediate money in the pockets of the people who are going to be impacted by these tariffs," he said.

"Let's hope they bear fruit down the down the road. But in the meantime, we need to come back to look at who is going to be affected right here on the ground in the coming days."

MacFarlane is calling for more measures to be announced. For example, he would like to see support for workers whose jobs could be at risk because of the tariffs, and financial relief such as tax breaks on essential products.

"This is not going to take a long time before people really see what materializes in their bank accounts here in P.E.I," he said. 

Although MacFarlane said he too was expecting this plan would include more "concrete tangible initiatives," he acknowledged there are a lot of moving parts to this issue. Still, he is hoping to see a fully formulated plan when the legislature resumes on March 25. 

"What I want to see is a plan that results in support for the people who are going to need it," said MacFarlane.

"We need to get money in people's pockets who need it, who are going to be paying the price for something they did not ask for and is beyond their control and could have a serious impact on their bottom lines."