Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Trump should expect a counterpunch if he moves ahead with tariffs
“I don’t govern by opinion polls,” said Smith. “I govern by what I think is the right approach.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking at a cabinet retreat in Montebello, Que., said on Tuesday morning that Trump should expect a counterpunch if he moves ahead with tariffs.
“If there are tariffs, we are ready to respond and defend Canada’s interests,” said Trudeau.
Trudeau told reporters he supported the idea of dollar-for-dollar matching tariffs in principle, saying he was taking nothing off the table.
“They will feel the pain. I will make sure I communicate this to our other premiers that they should be following suit,” said Ford.
Even Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, usually a reliable partner of Smith’s on energy issues, looks to be letting her fight this battle alone.
“We in Saskatchewan, we continue to be Canadians.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre joined the call for retaliatory tariffs in a Tuesday statement, calling for an emergency session of Parliament to push these measures through.
“We… need retaliatory tariffs, something that requires urgent Parliamentary consideration,” wrote Poilievre.
Smith said that escalating trade hostilities would be a bad idea for overmatched Canadian negotiators, especially when there’s little Canada can credibly do to make a dent in the much larger and more diversified U.S. economy.
“I don’t know that (Trump) responds well to threats, especially empty ones,” said Smith.
“I’m of the view that we have to find a deal from a more diplomatic point of view.”
Smith said U.S. refineries, which are rigged to process heavy oil like the kind found in Alberta’s oil sands, will be keen to continue their relationships with Canadian suppliers, especially with the alternatives being hostile regimes like Iran and Venezuela.
Smith said that, while she understood the emotions involved in the current impasse, we shouldn’t lose sight of the big picture, stressing the two countries’ long history of mutually beneficial bilateral relations.
“This is a relationship that’s lasted more than 100 years,” said Smith. “We have skirmishes from time to time, but you don’t torch a 100-year relationship over a temporary problem.”
Smith says she’ll continue to take meetings in Washington today and tomorrow, and plans to return to Canada on Thursday.
With files from the Canadian Press
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