(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuses Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of causing harm in his response to the arrival of a new Donald Trump administration.
Posted at 4:59 p.m.
Kyle Duggan et David Baxter
The Canadian Press
Mr. Trudeau argued that there is a long-standing tradition that when the nation is threatened in some way, Canadians come together to defend their country.
It is “increasingly clear” that Mr. Poilievre is incapable of doing this, according to him.
The prime minister made the comments about his political rival ahead of question period on Wednesday. The day before, Mr. Trudeau held a rare meeting with party leaders to brief them on his recent surprise visit to Mr. Trump, at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida on Friday, and the government’s plan to strengthen the border security.
After this meeting, Mr. Poilievre claimed that Justin Trudeau lost control of crucial government issues, such as the budget and the border, and had put Canada in a weak position. Mr. Trudeau alluded to the attack during question period, saying Mr. Poilievre “can’t help but” play politics amid Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Pierre Poilievre
Mr. Poilievre responded by saying the Prime Minister will kill Canadian jobs with the planned increase in the carbon tax this spring.
“You can imagine the president in the Oval Office, calling our businesses to say ‘Hey, I saw you have a quadrupled carbon tax north of the border. Why not come south of the border, where there is no carbon tax and other taxes are falling.”
After the party leaders’ meeting Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Mr. Trudeau said the prime minister had asked other leaders not to undermine Canada’s negotiations in public, for example by saying the border is poorly secured. He also asked them to repeat the message that the tariffs threatened by Mr. Trump will also hurt the American economy.
Mr. Poilievre emerged from the meeting emphasizing the latter point, but also said the Justin Trudeau government had “broken” the border. On Wednesday, the Conservative leader claimed that the government was the cause of the “disorder” at the border this morning.
President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs includes a demand that Canada and Mexico end illegal immigration and drug trafficking at their respective borders.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc assured Tuesday that Canada would strengthen its border security in time for Mr. Trump’s inauguration.
Friday, MM. LeBlanc, Trudeau and senior officials flew to Florida to dine with Mr. Trump and some of his cabinet nominees at Mar-a-Lago, where the president-elect held an audience. They informally discussed trade and border security.
Mr. LeBlanc downplayed a suggestion from Donald Trump at that dinner that he could make Canada 51e State. The Minister of Public Security assured that the president-elect was clearly joking and teasing the Canadian entourage.
