Poilievre takes aim at Carney's ability to handle Trump and his tariffs
Conservative leader says Carney is using U.S. president and his economic threats as a campaign 'distraction'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at his Liberal opponent Thursday over his handling of the Canada-U.S. relationship, saying Mark Carney has so far "failed" to secure any tariff relief for Canada, even as other countries get something of a break.
Carney, meanwhile, said U.S. President Donald Trump's much-maligned "reciprocal" tariffs never applied to Canada in the first place, and he has agreed to sit down with the Americans right after this election — if he wins — to negotiate a comprehensive new economic and security agreement.
As part of his three-pronged tariff plan, Trump last week announced huge "reciprocal" tariffs on virtually every country in the world except Canada and Mexico. The fact that Canada dodged these particular tariffs was seen as a victory, and Carney called it progress and "the best of a series of bad deals."
On Wednesday, Trump relented and temporarily dialled back the more onerous tariff rates for 90 days after the stock market tanked amid the trade chaos.
"Other countries got a pause in tariffs while he failed to secure one here in Canada," Poilievre said of Carney during a housing announcement in Milton, Ont.
But Trump is still pushing ahead with a "reciprocal" 10 per cent tariff on goods coming from nearly every country — again, except Canada and Mexico, which were never hit by these particular tariffs — and a new, higher 125 per cent rate for all Chinese goods after that country retaliated.
"This, of course, happened after Prime Minister Carney boasted he had had a productive call with President Trump and that he had made 'progress.' What progress? There are more American tariffs on Canada today than there were when Prime Minister Carney took office, while dozens of other countries have secured pauses," Poilievre said.
It's true that Trump has hit Canada harder than other countries with some of his other tariff schemes.
The president's previously announced global levies on steel, aluminum and most foreign-made autos are still in effect, and U.S. importers will have to pay tariffs when they bring those Canadian products stateside.
Trump's levies to punish Canada for supposedly being a major source of fentanyl and migrants — based on exaggerated claims that are not backed up by border data — are also in effect, but Canada has secured some exemptions to those tariffs under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
All of these U.S. tariffs, except for the ones on autos, were in place before Carney was sworn in as prime minister in mid-March.
Still, Poilievre said the Liberal leader should have gotten more out of Trump.
"Carney's biggest election promise and distraction are empty. He's telling you to forget about the lost Liberal decade of rising costs, crime, taxes and housing prices because he's somehow a magical negotiator, but we're learning that is not true. He does not control President Trump — no one does," Poilievre said.
Despite stating no Canadian leader can control Trump, Poilievre also said he will work to "end the tariffs on Day 1 after the next election" if he wins.
Poilievre has previously pitched pausing Canadian retaliatory tariffs as part of a push to hammer out a new trade deal with Trump.
Carney said he welcomed Trump's decision to hold off on some of his reciprocal tariffs, saying it's a "reprieve for the global economy."
As for the tariffs Canada is still facing, Carney said they are "threatening our families, our workers and our businesses, and while they are being imposed under different pretences, they are unjustified, unwarranted and misguided."
Carney said he will pause his campaign and return to Ottawa on Friday to convene a special meeting of his Canada-U.S. cabinet committee to discuss the government's strategy in the wake of the recent economic convulsions.
Carney said this upcoming vote is "the most consequential election of our lifetime," and he's working hard to represent Canada in its negotiations with the U.S. over the future of the bilateral relationship.
"The stakes have never been higher," he said.
Carney said he spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, earlier Thursday and he is pressing for closer trade ties with like-minded, "reliable" allies now that the Canada-U.S. relationship is on shaky ground.
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