OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday singled out Alberta Premier Danielle Smith as being the only provincial leader to act against Canada’s national interest, after she refused to sign a statement supporting the country’s approach to incoming U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs.
Trudeau and the 13 provincial and territorial leaders had met in Ottawa Wednesday to discuss how to strengthen the country’s ties to Americans at a time when Trump is threatening to impose a 25-per-cent tariff on all Canadian exports. They also talked about retaliatory tariffs Canada is preparing, should the president-elect make good on his threat.
Smith, who appeared virtually, was the lone premier not to sign Alberta’s name to a statement issued by the group, which emphasized their commitment to work together on “a full range of measures” should the U.S. hit Canada with tariffs. Smith had earlier in the week made it clear that she would not stand for suggestions from other provinces and federal Liberals about using Alberta oil as a weapon to fight Trump.
Speaking to reporters in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, Trudeau says he doesn’t “blame” Smith for speaking up for her province’s oil patch, but said every other premier, many of whom disagree with him regularly, “chose to put Canada first.”
“Premiers should be advocating for their own industries, their own communities, but they should also put their country first as every single premier except Danielle Smith did.”
Reached for comment, Sam Blackett, a spokesman for Smith pointed to a statement the premier made on X, where she criticized what Trudeau has called his “Team Canada” approach. Smith is currently out of the country.
In the post, Smith listed five different pro-energy policies she wants Trudeau’s government to undertake, including to: “Stop threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Albertans (and) Canadians via an energy export tax or ban” against the U.S.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, she said: “Federal officials continue to publicly and privately float the idea of cutting off energy supply to the U.S. and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products to the United States.”
She said Alberta “will simply not agree to export tariffs” or an outright ban on sending oil south of the border.
Trudeau’s comments come after Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who is the chair of the premiers’ group, delivered a similar message about Smith’s decision to withhold her support from the leaders’ statement the day before. Both Ford and Trudeau have said all options must remain on the table when it comes to ways Canada may respond to U.S tariffs.
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With the clock ticking until Trump is sworn in as president in four days, cabinet minister have travelled to Washington this week to make Canada’s case.
In a call with reporters, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said that what exactly Trump’s team is planning remains unclear. However, the minister said that in the course of meeting with lawmakers he has heard three different options emerge: A 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian exports, a 10-per-cent tariff, or starting with smaller tariffs and increasing them gradually to 25 per cent.
“I would say it is very unclear, and I think that is probably by design, and we are all going to have to wait to see what happens on the day of inauguration,” he said on Thursday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told CNN that Canada would “retaliate” if Trump goes ahead with tariffs
Trudeau on Thursday also took aim at Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre about where he stands on the issue, suggesting Poilievre may side with Smith.
Asked about whether he would be willing to impose export tariffs or restrict the flow of Canadian oil to the U.S., as a pressure tactic against Trump, Poilievre wouldn’t directly say.
Instead, he said Liberals have created huge roadblocks to building pipelines as well as LNG plants to sell natural gas to countries in Europe, making the sector reliant on exporting its oil to the U.S.
That, Poilievre says, has given “President Trump massive leverage in making these tariff threats.”
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