Since the United States presidential election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the opposition party leaders have shared opinions on the election results and how Donald Trump’s imminent presidency might affect Canada.
Since Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 5, Trudeau has expressed optimism towards Trump serving another term in office. Reportedly, Trudeau and Trump shared a phone call after the election to discuss the healthy relationship between Canada and the United States as well as “trade and security issues.”
During a news conference with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, Trudeau responded to questions asking how another Trump presidency might impact Canada.
Trudeau prefaced that the U.S. election results are rooted in the same concerns that have also driven Canadians to vote. Trudeau said that voters are most concerned with “the challenges that their families are facing,” using the rising cost of living as an example.
Trudeau ensured that both the Biden administration and the Trump administration are seeking to resolve issues that impact citizens the most, saying that the two countries must work together to find solutions for these issues.
In response to the concerns surrounding Trump’s plan to place a ten per cent tariff on Canadian exports, Trudeau referred back to the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) deal that Trump planned to “rip up” during his last term, saying that negotiation is possible.
Further, Trudeau said that the jobs that rely on a healthy trade relationship between the two countries are significant to both economies, so maintaining their trade agreement would be equally beneficial.
Trudeau continued to discuss the importance of the alliance between Canada and the U.S., saying the two countries are “friends and partners.”
“Canada is aligned with the United States already. We are going to be able to do good things together,” said Trudeau.
Both the Progressive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and New Democratic Party’s (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh did not express the same optimism towards Trump’s trade plans.
Poilievre said that his response to Trump’s planned 10 per cent tariff on Canadian exports would be to “fight fire with fire.”
Poilievre also criticized Trudeau’s response to the possible tariffs, saying that Trump aims to “walk all over” Trudeau and “take his money.”
“I can’t believe that Trudeau signed a trade deal with Trump that leaves open the possibility of a 10 per cent tariff,” said Poilievre.
The Conservative leader cited Canadian investments moving into the U.S. as a reason for his aggression towards this subject, saying that he wants Canada’s money back from the U.S.
Singh shared similar sentiments while speaking with reporters on Parliament Hill, warning that the tariffs will only raise the cost of living and make daily life more difficult for Canadians.
The NDP’s leader said that Trudeau should call out Trump’s plans and emphasize the damage they could do to Canadian citizens.
“[The 10 per cent tariff] is going to hurt workers in Canada and it’s going to hurt workers in the United States. It’s going to mean increased costs for everybody, so I want to see the Prime Minister come out clearly and say that’s wrong,” said Singh.
Singh went on to say that he is “deeply worried” about what a Trump presidency will mean for both national security and state relations on a global level.
“There are a lot of really challenging and problematic things that Mr. Trump has said, things that are going to cause deep, deep fears for people around the world, but here in Canada as well,” said Singh.
Presidential power will be passed over to Trump on Jan. 20, giving Canadian politicians two months to discuss Trump’s plans before he takes office.