Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a pro-free trade message to millions of Americans watching morning television Thursday, urging Canada and the United States to return to the negotiating table and declining to criticize Prime Minister Mark Carney while appearing in the U.S. Asked by the hosts of CNBC’s Squawk Box whether Carney was acting in good faith in trade negotiations with the United States, Poilievre said he would not attack the prime minister while abroad. “Look, I’m not going to attack my prime minister on foreign soil. It’s just not something I’m going to do,” Poilievre said. Poilievre also echoed several arguments made by the federal government about the origins of the trade dispute. “The administration hit us with tariffs first, and everything escalated thereafter. And my mission here is to fight for my country, not to score political points domestically,” he said. “Canadians are united in our mission to fight the tariffs and get back to a trade relationship that makes us both better off.” Since the trade dispute began, Conservatives have struggled to settle on a consistent message. Some party members and supporters have demanded that Carney publicly release details of the trade agreement he ultimately rejected, while others have focused their criticism on the government’s negotiating strategy. The collapse of the talks has also exposed divisions within Conservative ranks over how aggressively to challenge the Liberal government at a time of heightened tensions with Washington. While Poilievre has sought to project national unity in public appearances, some Conservatives have questioned Carney’s decision to walk away from the negotiations and called on the government to release details of the proposed deal. Others have argued Carney bears responsibility for the breakdown in talks.
