REGINA, Sask. — With an important week ahead in the trade dispute with the United States, federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for an economic action plan to get Canada back on its feet.
Speaking at a news conference at the Hotel Saskatchewan, just one day after attending the Labour Day Classic between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Poilievre called for a plan to cut red tape and wasteful spending, and eliminate all carbon taxes.
Flanked by local Conservative members of the federal caucus, Poilievre made clear he thought this plan was the best way to counter the continued tariff threats coming from U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We cannot control President Trump's tweets, tariffs or trolling. We can only control what we do here at home,” Poilievre said.
“The best way to fight back is to out-compete the U.S., build our strength, and use that strength to push for tariff-free trade.”
As for what their plan contains, Poilievre calls for cuts to “wasteful spending on bureaucracy, consultants, foreign aid, fake refugees, corporate welfare, and the $150 billion Alto Rail boondoggle.”
He called for scrapping “all carbon taxes, not just the visible ones,” as well as on taxes on home building. In particular, he called for scrapping the “industrial carbon tax on steel, aluminum, fertilizer and everything else.”
“We make a lot of fertilizer here in Saskatchewan, but it's being carbon taxed. We also pay carbon tax on the steel made at Evraz (Interpro) and in other Canadian steel makers. We want to get rid of all those taxes.”
Warren Steinley, MP for Regina-Lewvan, concurred about how reduced taxes could help the local steel industry.
“Obviously, Interpro Steel is in Regina, a major employer, and the industrial carbon tax has slowed them down, and we need to get those 500 major projects done and approved so that we can get people back to work, and that's an important part of our economic plan. And removing the industrial carbon tax will ensure those jobs stay in Regina now and into the future.”
Poilievre also called to “scrap capital gains tax on any reinvestment here in Canada,” and to “scrap the sales tax on Canadian-made automobiles to save you money and to save autoworkers jobs.”
He also called on the federal government to cut the red tape on major projects currently awaiting approval from the federal government.
“Mr. Carney, you have 500 projects sitting on your desk waiting for a federal permit. You just need to get out of the way and approve them. Approve the 500 projects. Pass a law limiting wait times for federal permits to a year. Scrap the ban on pipelines and shipping oil off the west coast of British Columbia by getting rid of C-69 and (C-)48. Build a strategic energy and oil reserve starting today, and use the prospect of that reserve as leverage to fight for tariff-free trade. We need to use our leverage to win tariff-free trade.”
Poilievre also repeated his previous calls for Canadians to “see the deal” that Carney had agreed to in principle with the U.S. before the collapse of talks.
“There must have been a written record of that deal, and there's no reason not to share it with Canadians.”
Poilievre also demanded the economic data upon which Canada’s upcoming counter-tariffs were based.
“Mr. Carney obviously has done an economic study before he would impose this. Clearly, no government would impose billions of dollars of tariffs without having studied what the impact would be on Canadian consumers … the prime minister must ensure that his tariffs do not amount to yet another Liberal tax on Canadians. We are asking him to release the government's full calculations of the cost burden on struggling Canadian families and businesses.”
Poilievre reiterated that Conservatives remained united behind Canada’s efforts in the trade dispute.
“All Canadians stand united in denouncing the president's unacceptable tweets, trolling and tariffs, and we have to stand united for our country, its workers, and all of our people. And we are united for our jobs, for our people, and for our sovereignty.”
But Poilievre reiterated Canadians “deserve the facts and a plan,” saying they need to have both of those things from the prime minister but “so far we have had neither.”
“We're asking for the prime inister to be straight up. We know it's not easy to negotiate with the U.S. president, but the best way to keep everyone united and rowing the same direction is to be upfront about the costs, the decisions, and the plan going forward.”
Poilievre’s remarks come a day before the federal government’s counter-tariff measures are due to take effect against the U.S., in response to upwards of 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the U.S. on August 21. These countermeasures come amid reports that Trump could retaliate this week by banning forestry, steel and alcohol products going to the U.S.
When asked if such a response from Trump might throw a wrench into an economic action plan response, Poilievre responded it “actually sparks greater need for an economic action plan.”
“If the tariff dispute escalates even more, then we will have to focus on what we can control here at home. Let's take steel. If there's a ban on Canadian steel, why would we be carbon taxing that same steel? It would be insane… We've got a trillion Canadian investment dollars parked abroad. You want to bring it back to Canada? Get rid of all capital gains tax on reinvestments in Canadian enterprises. This is a real positive plan to be masters in our own house and to build up the strength that will allow us to withstand a potentially escalating trade conflict with our American neighbours.”
