Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre on Wednesday of being unable to place partisanship apart within the face of Donald Trump’s tariff risk.
Trudeau flew to Florida final week to satisfy with the U.S. president-elect after Trump threatened to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all items coming from Canada and Mexico except each nations cease what he known as an “invasion” of medicine, “particularly Fentanyl, and all Unlawful Aliens” into the U.S.
The prime minister met with Poilievre and the opposite opposition leaders on Tuesday to temporary them on his go to to Florida.
Regardless of all occasion leaders agreeing that the tariffs could be disastrous for each the Canadian and U.S. economies, Tuesday’s assembly would not seem to have cast a united entrance among the many events.
Talking to reporters on his manner into query interval on Wednesday, Trudeau mentioned Poilievre was failing to place politics on the backburner within the face of Trump’s risk.
“There’s a custom in Canada that when instances are robust, when there is a second of disaster or after we’re threatened, Canadians pull collectively. We step up, we go throughout partisan traces and we defend Canada,” Trudeau mentioned.
“It appears more and more clear that isn’t one thing Pierre Poilievre is ready to do.”
WATCH | Trudeau criticizes Poilievre for partisanship in face of Trump tariff risk:
Trudeau criticizes Poilievre for partisanship in face of Trump tariff risk
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that when Canada is in disaster or threatened no matter partisan stripes Canadians come collectively, however added that it’s ‘increasingly clear that is not something Pierre Poilievre is able to do.’
Poilievre has criticized the federal government’s border insurance policies over the previous few days, saying that the Liberals have “misplaced management of the border.”
These feedback come after Trudeau reportedly requested opposition leaders to not feed into Trump’s declare that the Canada-U.S. border is in some way being overrun by migrants and drug trafficking.
Whereas the circulation of migrants and unlawful medication over the northern border is a fraction of what crosses over from Mexico, Trump remains to be involved about what’s coming from Canada — simply as Canadian officers are alarmed by medication and weapons flowing north.
Inexperienced Occasion Chief Elizabeth Might mentioned after Tuesday’s assembly that Trudeau requested the opposite leaders to current a united entrance in opposition to American broadsides.
“We have been reminded, please, do not say issues that are not true, do not play into Trump’s narrative,” she mentioned.
The leaders have been instructed “it might be useful within the coming weeks and months if we do not in any manner amplify the form of messaging and language the Trump administration is utilizing to assault Canada,” she mentioned.
However Poilievre got here out of Tuesday’s assembly and instructed reporters the border is “damaged.”
“The prime minister has damaged our immigration system, damaged our banks, damaged our border. We have to repair these issues and put Canada first,” he mentioned.
WATCH | Poilievre says Trump’s proposed tariffs would damage the U.S. as nicely: 
Poilievre says Trump’s proposed tariffs would damage the U.S. as nicely
Following a gathering with all occasion leaders in regards to the prime minister’s dinner assembly in Florida with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump final week, Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre mentioned how Trump’s threatened tariffs could be damaging to each the U.S. and Canada.
Poilievre has continued that line of assault in query interval, saying Wednesday that “this weak prime minister has misplaced management of the whole lot. He is misplaced management of the borders, misplaced management of immigration.”
After assembly with representatives of a lot of Canadian and American regulation enforcement companies, Quebec’s Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel mentioned Tuesday that the variety of irregular crossings from Canada to the U.S. has jumped considerably within the final three years.
Of the 25,000 irregular crossings into the U.S. from Canada this 12 months, 19,000 occurred between Cornwall, Ont., and Sherbrooke, Que., he mentioned. He mentioned there have been 600 irregular crossings from Quebec in 2022 and seven,000 in 2023.
“We’re in a scenario that we will contemplate secure on the border,” Bonnardel mentioned. “This case is possibly extra difficult on the opposite aspect.”
The Liberals have mentioned they’re beginning to take measures to deal with a few of Trump’s considerations and are planning to purchase helicopters and drones to enhance monitoring on the border.
Following Tuesday’s assembly, Poilievre instructed reporters that he urged the prime minister to remind the Trump administration of simply how damaging tariffs could be for each Canadian and American companies and staff.
He mentioned it must be “straightforward” for Canada to keep away from tariffs if the Individuals perceive they may ship a success to their very own economic system.
As Trudeau and Poilievre criticized one another, two of Canada’s pemiers appeared on Fox Information on Wednesday to pitch Canada’s case to an American viewers.
I had a good time chatting with @TeamCavuto on @FoxNews about how the U.S. and Canada are a lot stronger collectively. Whether or not it’s essential minerals, oil and fuel or nuclear vitality, nobody is best positioned to assist America’s rising economic system than Canada. Let’s construct Fortress… pic.twitter.com/yoWFCKimzM
—@fordnation
“Proper now it is Group Canada, and I am glad that the prime minister went down there. The primary chief of the G7 to come back and go to president-elect Trump,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford instructed host Neil Cavuto, including that Trump’s proposed tariffs would damage each Canada and the U.S.
“Canada does $1.3 trillion of commerce, greater than China and Japan, U.Ok. and France mixed. Ontario alone does $500 billion of two-way commerce. And I would add, it is equally {split} down the centre,” Ford mentioned.
In a separate interview, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made the case for the U.S. to import extra Canadian oil and fuel.
“We stand by prepared to assist however it’s going to rely upon the path the U.S. administration takes,” she instructed host Stuart Varney.
