2 weeks Ago
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for Canadian soldiers to be sent to the border, as the country teeters on the edge of a trade war with the United States. In just a few hours, the United States is poised to impose 25 per cent tariffs against Canadian goods. U.
S. President Donald Trump's reasons for engaging in an economically devastating trade spat with his country's longtime ally has been shifting, but he has cited illegal fentanyl coming from Canada into the U.S.
as justification for the trade standoff. In both a news conference and social media post on Monday, Poilievre called on the federal government to "send Canadian Forces troops, helicopters [and] surveillance to the border now." The Opposition leader's comments come after Mexico announced plans to deploy 10,000 national guard troops to the U.
S. border. The move appears to have given the country a reprieve from tariffs aimed at its goods.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the U.S. has agreed to delay tariffs for a month.
Breaking Trump to pause promised tariffs for 30 days after speaking with Trudeau Mexico president says U.S. tariffs on her country delayed for 1 month A spokesperson for Defence Minister Bill Blair did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an interview last month, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan suggested the military could provide additional equipment to the border including helicopters and surveillance gear. According to the Globe and Mail's story, Carignan said the military would only be there to support the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) if required, and that "there is no intention to militarize the border.
" The Canadian government has already committed $1.3 billion to bolster the border, including surveillance towers, dozens of drones and two Black Hawk helicopters the RCMP has leased. While senior government officials have made multiple trips to the U.
S. to pitch the border plan to Republicans, Trump seems unconvinced. Trump once again says he wants to see Canada made the '51 state' The president has painted the looming tariffs as a way to hit back at Canada for its trade deficit and what he calls inaction on drugs, specifically fentanyl, and migrants crossing the northern border into the U.
S. U.S.
data shows relatively little amounts of fentanyl are seized at the northern border. Figures from U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show the agency seized 19.5 kilograms of fentanyl at the northern border last year, compared to 9,570 kilograms at the southwestern one. However on Monday Trump tossed out other reasons.
Following a morning call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump took to social media where he went after Canada for not allowing U.S. banks to "open or do business there.
" WATCH | U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports set to come into effect Tuesday: U.
S. tariffs on Canadian imports set to come into effect Tuesday 3 hours ago Duration 1:58 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to U.S.
President Donald Trump early Monday morning about the forthcoming trade war that has the potential to inflict economic pain on workers and businesses on both sides of the border. Tariffs are set to take effect Tuesday. Taking questions from the Oval Office, he was asked what Canada could do to avoid Tuesday's tariffs.
"I'd like to see Canada become our 51st state," he responded. During his news conference, Poilievre — who is leading in public opinion polling — was asked what Trump's ultimate goal is and whether Canada should make more concessions. "You'd have to ask President Trump what his goals are," the Opposition leader responded.
"We need to protect our borders, not to please any other foreign leader." Poilievre also said a Conservative government would hire 2,000 more CBSA agents and extend the powers of the agency along the entire border. As it stands, the CBSA is in charge of official ports of entry and the RCMP patrols in between.
WATCH | Poilievre says border protection puts 'Canada first': Poilievre pledges to 'put Canada first’ in the face of U.S. tariffs 2 hours ago Duration 1:28 Asked by a reporter Monday why he thinks U.
S. President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that was a question for Trump — before adding that Canada needs to ‘protect our borders, not to please any other foreign leader.’ He urged the government to recall Parliament to pass what he called a "Canada-first plan" to counter Trump's tariffs.
Parliament is prorogued until March 24 as the Liberal Party chooses its next leader. Poilievre did not directly answer whether opposition parties plan to set aside a non-confidence motion, triggering an immediate election, to first vote on a tariff package. "The Liberal Party powers put themselves ahead of Canadians," he said of prorogation.
Moe calls for CAF to absorb border agency Earlier Monday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe suggested Ottawa look into making the CBSA a branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The premier said it would make it easier to deploy military troops along the border. "Thereby addressing concerns President Trump has raised," he said.
Moe also suggested the Canadian Armed Forces absorbing the CBSA would help Canada get closer to meeting NATO's military investment benchmark of two per cent of gross domestic product. Question of available troops Just how many troops could be mustered to the border is an open question. The Canadian military has long been handicapped with a shortage of personnel and aging equipment.
As CBC News reported last year, internal Defence Department documents showed that only 58 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces would be able to respond if called upon in a crisis by NATO allies — and almost half of the military's equipment is considered "unavailable and unserviceable." "We have a crisis of confidence with the U.S.
as they believe our border security is inadequate, and the U.S. is largely defending Canada because we won't do it ourselves — at least not to NATO or U.
S. standards of readiness of people, equipment and training," said retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie, who is also a former Liberal MP. "So, should Canada deploy regular and reserve soldiers along our border with the U.
S. now? Yes. Should that have been done on [inauguration day] Jan.
20? Yes. Too bad they are not ready. It's now an emergency.
" Trudeau said Canada will retaliate with tariffs of its own against $155 billion in American goods, including alcohol, furniture and natural resources. He and Trump were scheduled to talk again at 3 p.m.
ET.
