The four Liberal leadership candidates tackled discussions of Canada’s relationship with other nations, the economy, the carbon tax and more at their English-Language debate.
On Feb. 25, Liberal leadership candidates Karina Gould, Mark Carney, Frank Baylis and Chrystia Freeland met for their English-Language debate ahead of the March 9 deadline to select a new leader for the party.
According to moderator and Executive Communications Officer for Global Public Affairs Hannah Thibedeau, the debate questions were informed by concerns from registered Liberals across Canada.
The debate covered several themes, including Canada’s global standing, the economic crises, repairing Canada’s healthcare system and climate policies.
Here is an overview of the key points of discussion from each theme.
Canada’s place in the world
The first question Thibedeau asked candidates was why they would be the best leader to oppose President Trump amidst his then imminent tariff orders.
Baylis answered first, referencing his past negotiating experience and saying Trump’s “character” is not unfamiliar to him. He classified Trump as a “bully,” saying that as the Liberal leader, he would be able to predict his actions and counter them accordingly.
Carney responded next, saying that “crisis management, negotiating skills” and “economic expertise” are essential for confronting Trump. He added that a strong economic foundation is necessary to maintaining strong Canada-U.S. relations.
Gould noted that she learned how to “stand up to bullies” in the House of Commons and would continue to do so as the Liberal leader. Gould added that she understands the approach needed to combat Trump’s tariffs, saying that “you can’t bring a calculator to a knife fight.”
Freeland argued that it is a “big mistake” to believe that Canada cannot negotiate with Trump, noting the mutually beneficial trade relationship between the two countries. Later in the debate portion of this section, Freeland also said that Canada must begin looking for allies, listing “Mexico, Panama, Denmark and the EU” as prospective partners due to their shared struggle with the U.S.
Next, Thibedeau asked the candidates what their first move would be immediately after Trump confirms his tariff orders.
Baylis said that Trump will be looking to tax American sectors that are at overcapacity to hurt America’s economy the least, listing softwood lumber and dairy as examples. Baylis said he will protect these industries and employ counter tariffs back at America.
Freeland said that her first move would be “dollar-by-dollar retaliation,” matching whatever the U.S. inflicts onto Canada with strategy instead of Trump’s “dumb” tariff method. Freeland listed a 100 per cent tariff on Teslas as well as tariffs for Wisconsin dairy and Florida orange juice.
Gould said she would tackle the situation by calling a meeting with the Council of the Federation to align Canada’s premiers and ensure a unified response. Then, she would publicize the government’s plan, saying that Canadians have the right to understand what their government is doing. Her plan entails calling for a “Team Canada” approach, urging Canadians to restrain from consuming U.S. products.
Carney said that he would also call a First Ministers meeting and employ dollar-for-dollar tariffs. Carney said he would also amplify the economic impact of Trump’s policies for Americans, citing that Canada is their largest supplier of energy, electricity and uranium.
During the debate portion of the topic, Gould warned that “our democracy is under threat,” citing the immediacy of meeting the two per cent NATO target and continuing to lend international assistance to other nations.
Freeland agreed, saying that the threat Trump poses to Canada’s sovereignty emphasizes the need to work alongside our democratic and military allies.
Canada’s economy
Moving to economic issues, Thibedeau asked candidates how they would strengthen Canada’s economy amidst the precarious economic times Canadians are facing.
Carney answered first, saying that home building would be his first step to make life more affordable for Canadians. Carney also said that building “conventional energy infrastructure and clean energy infrastructure” as well as “intelligence infrastructure” — diversifying Canada’s trade partners and creating a singular Canadian economy instead of 13 — will all be a part of his approach to repairing the economy. Later in the debate period, Carney said he would cut taxes for the middle class and remove the GST for first-time home buyers.
Instead of focusing on the larger “macroeconomic picture” of Canada, Gould referenced her proposal to create a housing plan to help first-time home buyers, incite a one per cent GST tax cut (going from five per cent to four per cent) and lead Canada towards a basic income. During the debate period, Gould said her basic income plan would ensure that individuals who live on a fixed income, like seniors or persons with disabilities, have adequate financial support.
Baylis outlined what he called his “prosperity plan” to repair the economy. Baylis said that Canada must restrain from running deficits because of the consequence this has on the value of Canadian currency. He clarified that he will not be cutting GST, but he will “modernize” Canada’s healthcare system as it is a large site of spending for the government.
Freeland said that all economic plans must first tackle the issue of Canada’s relationship with Trump, naming him Canada’s “biggest economic menace.” To do this, Freeland said she will remove interprovincial trade barriers, “cut red tape” and invest in Canadian industries. During the debate, Freeland outlined further plans, like a middle-class tax cut, lessened credit card fees and a tax cut for first-time home buyers.
Bringing back support from right-leaning voters
The next theme began with Thibedeau asking candidates how they would win back the support of former Liberals who have turned to the right throughout Trudeau’s time as Prime Minister.
Gould said that many voters have moved to the right because current Liberals are not discussing the challenges Canadians face most in our economic climate, like the lack of affordable housing.
Baylis said he would invest in universities to improve the economy and support young people in their educational endeavours. He also proposed increasing the amount given to Canadians’ First Home Savings Accounts — saying it currently does not match inflation — as well as rebuilding investments for social housing.
Freeland said the Liberals need to look back on their successful recovery from the 2008 financial crisis and bring that same energy to current issues if they want to see electoral success. To do this, Freeland noted again her plans to cut taxes for the middle class and first-time home buyers, build 100,000 new childcare centres, cap credit card fees and offer Canadians “free trade schools.” During the debate portion of the topic, Freeland noted that she would also increase the funding given in First Home Savings Accounts.
Carney said he will focus on building infrastructure, supporting universities and implementing “broad-based skills training” adding that the federal government can “leverage A.I.” to do so. During the debate portion of the topic, Carney said that Canada must double its rate of home building efforts, citing that the average cost to buy a house in Canada is ten times the average Canadian’s salary. To do this, Carney said that we need more home building technologies and more trades workers.
Healthcare
Thibedeau turned to the next theme, asking candidates how they would work alongside provinces and territories to solve the shortage of doctors in Canada.
Carney said that, although healthcare is a provincial responsibility, the federal government must do their part in ensuring that healthcare workers can easily move around the country if needed. He also said that Canada must be more accessible for healthcare workers from other areas of the world to set up practices here.
Gould said that the federal government is significant to this issue in two ways. Firstly, the federal government must work alongside provincial governments to make mobility across the country easier for healthcare professionals. Secondly, Gould said that the federal government must work with colleges as well as provinces and territories to ensure that healthcare professionals trained outside of Canada are equally recognized here.
Baylis said that the Canadian healthcare system needs a complete “redesign,” referencing that it was originally designed in the 1960s for acute care issues, but now Canadians are increasingly suffering from chronic issues. In this redesign, Baylis wants to expand the capabilities of pharmacists, saying they are trained to do a number of things that are not reflected in their job description. He also wants to train 6,000 nurses to become nurse practitioners to expand their scope of practice as well as invest in home care services.
Freeland said that healthcare credentials must be portable across the country and widely recognized from several countries outside of Canada. She noted that Liberals must protect Canada’s universal healthcare system from Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
The consumer carbon tax and the climate crisis
The climate change discussion of the evening began with whether the Liberal candidates would end the consumer carbon tax.
Carney said he would end the tax, saying that it has become “too divisive” for Canadians and that it only accounts for less than 10 per cent of Canada’s emission reductions. Carney proposed that Canada can maintain these emission reductions by having “big polluters” pay Canadians for their emission reductions as well as improve the options for more sustainable options for important companies.
Freeland said she would also remove the consumer carbon tax, saying that “democracy is about listening to people.” Freeland suggested instead that the federal government needs to use incentives, like the Canada Growth Fund and the Investment Tax Credits to make Canada more sustainable while growing the economy.
Baylis said that he would put forth a climate policy using the “polluter pays model,” in which pollution costs are “fairly” paid. Baylis added that, if anyone proposes a model where nobody pays, they are “not being honest with you.” Baylis said he will not use the current carbon tax, as it is “just circulating money around,” but instead he will change it to directly address climate change through investment into Canadian companies who are bringing solutions to the issue.
Gould said she will not “abandon” the fight against the climate crisis, saying that the carbon tax has become an issue of affordability for Canadians and is not representative as a stance against sustainability. Gould added that a number of Canadians depend on the rebate checks that come from putting a price on pollution.
During the one-minute segment on the topic, Thibedeau asked how candidates would employ energy infrastructure and whether they feel there is a “private interest” to work on this infrastructure.
Baylis said that he will build two pipelines to transfer natural gas across the country. He noted that private industries have recently showed a lack of interest in endeavours like these because “there’s no certainty” on the rules for each project, saying that new governments frequently overhaul prior governments’ rules regarding energy infrastructure. Baylis added that getting the approvals of provinces and Indigenous communities is integral before seeking private industry interest.
Carney said that he would set up a First Ministers discussion to discern Canada’s projects of national interest regarding both clean and conventional energy and pipelines. Carney noted that this must be done with urgency to make real progress.
Freeland said Trump is also relevant to this issue, as he poses an “existential threat” to Canada’s economy and sovereignty. However, she said that she is confident of Canada’s leverage in this area, referencing that the country supplies energies in “hydro, wind” and other traditional forms to the U.S.
Gould said that Canadians must discuss their future in energy production regarding both traditional and renewable energy, as energy is a large resource Canada can supply to other nations.
Justin Trudeau
Finally, Thibedeau tasked candidates to explain how they were different from former leader of the Liberal Party Justin Trudeau.
Gould said she recognizes that the Liberal government made several mistakes over the last few years, namely not listening to Canadians who were worried about post-pandemic inflation. She said that she is proud of the work done by the Liberals thus far and plans to build off their successes.
Baylis said that he is “the most distant” candidate from Trudeau as he never served as a minister nor an economic advisor in his government. He said he will be more focused on “building an innovation-based economy” to bring more wealth to Canadians and ensure that the government has the financial resources to pay for important programs like the healthcare system.
Carney said that he will be a much more “hands-on” leader, focusing on the economy, growing wages and minimizing inflation as well as increasing dialogue within the caucus.
Freeland said that she is also proud of the progress made by Trudeau’s government but reminded Canadians that she is her “own person.” She said she will take on a collaborative leadership style, focus on “practical” issues like jobs and economic growth and will fight for Canada amidst economic tensions with Donald Trump.
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The voting period for the Liberal Leadership election began on Feb. 26 and is open until March 9. If you are a registered Liberal, you can vote in this election. Visit liberal.ca for more information on the voting process.