Carney talks tough on tariffs

WINNIPEG — Prime Minister Mark Carney focused on affordability measures and reiterated his promise Canada would retaliate against expanded United States tariffs during his first campaign stop in Winnipeg Tuesday.

Carney, local Liberal candidates and supporters met with workers at bus manufacturer New Flyer Industries in Transcona, where Carney pledged to “level the playing field” with the U.S. once President Donald Trump follows through with wide-ranging tariffs, to be unveiled today in what he has branded “Liberation Day.”

Carney called the impact on the Canadian economy “the biggest crisis of our lifetime” and pointed to the hit on automotive industries, using New Flyer as an example.

“With respect to the auto sector, given the current structure of U.S. auto tariffs, we have held back until we see the next measures from the U.S. (Wednesday),” he told the crowd.

“We have held back, but we will not disadvantage Canadian producers and Canadian workers relative to American workers.”

In the afternoon, Premier Wab Kinew met with Carney in his capacity as prime minister to discuss Wednesday’s tariff announcement by the U.S. and the “Team Canada” response.

“Manitoba has so many amazing jobs where people go to work every day supplying things at the United States needs,” Kinew said afterwards.

“… Tariffs are going to make life more expensive for Americans. For us as a provincial government and for the federal government to work together to support your jobs during this period, so that we can have Americans apply that pressure to their Trump administration, that’s important,” the premier told reporters.

He said Carney told him that Canada’s response will be “calibrated, fine-tuned” and “proportional.”

“The biggest news story in the world is going to happen right when Donald Trump announces the tariffs,” Kinew said.

“For Manitoba to have our voice at the federal level, the province bringing that forward, is really important, so that we protect jobs and stand up for our economy.”

The premier acknowledged the federal election, and said he reached out to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Tuesday and that he would meet with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh Tuesday evening at the legislature.

“I want to make sure that we’re sharing that same message with each of them — underlining the importance of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and to have a strong response for Team Manitoba.”

At the event at New Flyer, Carney focused largely on affordability and his housing plan unveiled Monday, which he called the “most ambitious … since the Second World War.”

The policy would create Build Canada Housing, a new federal entity to provide financing to builders and speed up affordable-housing construction.

He pledged to maintain affordability programs in place and “double down on what’s working already,” pointing to $10-a-day child care.

When asked about expanding pharmacare, he again promised the current standard would be in place, but any expansion would be “in the context of decisions around a range of priorities.”

Manitoba was the first province to sign a pharmacare deal with the federal government for diabetes medication, contraceptives and other medical supplies. The announcement was made in February.

Carney used his appearance to cite his party’s previous promises to cut taxes, eliminate the GST for many first-time home purchases and expand dental coverage.

Two of the Liberal candidates who appeared at Carney’s Manitoba campaign event Tuesday morning expressed the hope that the party can capitalize on what polls suggest is declining national NDP support.

Rebecca Chartrand, who is looking to unseat longtime NDP MP Niki Ashton in a northern Manitoba riding, said she’s encouraged by what she’s hearing from voters she meets.

“I think people want to see change. That’s what we’re hearing at the doors,” she said.

Ginette Lavack — who is running for the Liberals in Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, after former Liberal cabinet minister Dan Vandal didn’t seek re-election — said she thinks seats that formerly enjoyed strong NDP support are “absolutely” in play, despite the fact that Manitoba has a popular NDP premier.

“Provincial and federal politics are different, and I think people recognize that,” she said. “When they’re looking at the national picture, the Liberal is the choice.”

Carney was asked why he had no public meetings planned with Indigenous groups and had no policy announcements focused on reconciliation while visiting a city with a large Indigenous population.

He pointed to the expansion of the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program announced by the federal government March 21 and called the reconciliation process “fundamental to our country.”

Carney also made a noon-hour campaign stop at Mangkok International Cuisine, a Filipino restaurant on Notre Dame Avenue.

Flanked by Liberal MPs Terry Duguid (Winnipeg South), Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North) and Winnipeg Centre candidate Ruhal Walia, he was applauded by diners who snapped photos, including selfies.

Carney is in Winnipeg days after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre visited Saturday, becoming the first federal leader to campaign in the Prairies.

He announced a plan to expand tax writeoffs for trade workers and discussed exporting oil out of the Port of Churchill.

» Winnipeg Free Press