Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is asking Prime Minister Mark Carney to disclose details about the rejected trade deal between Canada and the U.S. The two nations were engaged in trade talks before they fell through in late August, with Canada rejecting the deal and pulling its negotiating team. Speaking to reporters in Regina on Monday, Poilievre argued that Canadians have a right to know exactly what was offered. “The prime minister obviously has an analysis on how his counter-tariffs will increase inflation and costs for small business,” Poilievre said. “He has admitted that tariffs will be a tax on consumers, we just want him to release that analysis so that single moms, small business owners, seniors, know what they’re going to have to pay.” After talks fell through, Canada announced counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion in U.S. imports effective Sept. 8. Various goods will be hit with tariffs at rates of 15, 25 and 50 per cent. Poilievre also called on the federal government to create an economic action plan aimed at offsetting the costs of the trade war. “The government has not done enough to protect workers. We have not seen an economic action plan to save money and jobs for the Canadian people right now,” Poilievre said. The Conservative Party leader was asked if Canada should take further tariff action if the U.S. imposes another round of tariffs in light of Canada’s retaliation. “We’re against the tariffs that the Americans are imposing, our goal is to fight for tariff-free trade. We think that should be the mission here,” Poilievre said. “Tariff-free trade is good for Americans and Canadians, and we believe that we can build up our leverage and make the case for that tariff-free trade to the American people to put pressure on the administration to give Canada the treatment we deserve.” In a statement to CTV News, John Fragos, press secretary of the Minister of Finance, said the federeal government has made clear that it does not make draft trade agreements public. “This is both a legal requirement and one agreed to by both the Canadian and American negotiating teams in the interest of good faith negotiations,” Fragos wrote. “The government has however very publicly and openly detailed through its $7.5b worker and industry support package how it is supporting businesses and Canadians through this challenging period. “This adds to the more than $25b in support already provided to protecting Canadians producers and workers amid persistent tariff uncertainty - and the myriad other measures the government has taken to address affordability concerns and whose combined savings amount to thousands this year alone.”
