They barely agree on anything, but Canada’s 13 premiers are united against U.S. tariffs
They barely agree on anything, but Canada’s 13 premiers are united against U.S. tariffs
They are, for better or worse, Canada’s last best hope against Donald Trump’s tariffs — 13 provincial and territorial premiers, many of whom barely agree on the day of the week, uniting for the briefest of moments to travel to Washington, D.C., to smash some political heads together as Team Canada.
At least, that’s the hope of the lobbying blitz of Capitol Hill.
“The reason for the visit to Washington is to speak with key decision-makers in business, in government, about the impact of the tariffs on American families, on American business, and the tied nature of our two economies, how important it is that we’re working together instead of against each other,” said B.C. Premier David Eby.
The trip was cobbled together last month after Trump threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico. While he’s backed away from general tariffs for 30 days, Trump did this week announce a global tariff against all aluminum and steel, which hits Canada hard.
The premiers arrived in D.C. at different times, with different meetings, destinations and targets.
Ontario’s Doug Ford, in the middle of an election campaign but also chair of the premier’s council, spoke to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an enormous collective of businesses from across that country.
“It’s so important to remember everything we’ve achieved together,” Ford told the group.
“But now more than ever, we need to focus on the future, and we need to be very clear-eyed about the real risk we’re facing right now, about the true trade war we’re waging, which is in my opinion totally unnecessary.”
He added: “Let’s stick together, and please get the message to President Trump, this is not a good idea for both countries.”
Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe met with a prominent law firm, and told CTV News he urged diplomacy and not retaliatory tariffs (which is not, technically, Canada’s position).
“What’s far more effective is us ensuring that everyone that is close to President Trump or involved in the administration, whether from us as sub-national leaders or industries that do business on both sides of the border, that they understand the full impact of what tariffs will do,” Moe told CTV.
Eby’s exact itinerary is murkier — his office hasn’t shared what he plans to do or who he plans to speak with. He started his trip speaking to Washington state media. He then told Canadian reporters he’ll speak to labour leaders who were instrumental in getting votes for Trump, and also wants to target the president’s Republican colleagues for talks.
“This is a Republican-led initiative against Canada,” said Eby. “It’s a group we need to talk to. Obviously we need to help them understand the importance of our tightly linked economies and that while they may think they’re trying to get something from Canada, it’s just mutually assured damage, it’s a war where the shrapnel goes in all directions.
“And so whatever we can do to help them understand how tied we are together is time well spent.”
The premiers, to their credit, are trying to fill a leadership vacuum left by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to resign. The lame duck PM is still nominally stickhandling the file until the next leader of the federal Liberal party is chosen March 9.
One of the two frontrunners for that job, former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, visited British Columbia on Tuesday to stump for votes and highlight her success in pushing Trump off tariff threats in his first term in office.
“I think it’s going to be harder this time, but we are experienced, I am experienced,” she told me in an interview on CHEK News. “I know how to do it, and I think the country is ready.”
No one is quite sure if the premiers will get any face time with Trump’s senior advisors at the White House — or who knows, maybe even the president himself. Eby said if it happens, it will be a last-minute meeting, part of what he calls a “fluid” situation in Washington.
But even if they don’t, the trip, and the extraordinary gathering of premiers fighting toward a single cause, was still definitely worth the shot.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 17 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.
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