Federal leaders change up election plans as U.S. promises automotive tariffs

OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war has jolted the federal election campaign again, forcing some leaders to change up their travel plans.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney pivoted from the campaign trail to huddle with his ministers in Ottawa Thursday to plot a response to Trump’s announcement of tariffs on automotive imports.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre again urged Trump to “knock it off” with his “disastrous tariffs threats.”

In Windsor, Ont., NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made a last-minute visit to union leaders and autoworkers he said “are pissed off” by Trump’s tariffs.

“This feels like a betrayal, a gut-punch for absolutely no reason,” he said.

Recent polls suggest the top question Canadian voters are asking themselves in this election campaign is which leader is best able to fight for Canada’s interests in the face of the Trump administration’s constant economic threats.

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all automobile imports to the United States next week. But Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the Trump administration told him that Canadian-made vehicles with 50 per cent or more American parts will not face the tariffs.

Singh said he would restrict the movement of manufacturing equipment to the U.S. by companies that want to meet Trump’s demands to move factories to the States. He did not cite the legal mechanism he’d use to do this.

The NDP leader said that while he criticizes other parties’ domestic policies, he’s “on Team Canada” when it comes to meeting the threat of tariffs.

“I’m not going to be critical about the approach when it comes to fighting back against Donald Trump. I think we all need to be united on that front,” he said.

Poilievre, meanwhile, said policies supported by Carney have left Canadians vulnerable to Trump.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been weakened, as the tax system now rewards corporate insiders that move their money out of Canada,” he said at a campaign stop in Coquitlam, B.C., near Vancouver.

“To Carney, taxes are something that the little people have to worry about while globalist elites like him can always escape the bill.”

Poilievre said his government would make Canada strong by diversifying markets and building up the domestic economy.

He also tried to shift the campaign’s focus back to the issue of affordability.

Conservatives, he said, would boost the amount that Canadians can put into tax-free savings accounts, as long as the funds are used to support domestic growth.

He said he would allow Canadians to save an additional $5,000 each year, but only for “investments in Canadian companies,” a condition that a Conservative government would help to define for banks. The current annual TFSA contribution limit is $7,000.

He said this affordability measure would also shore up Canada’s defences against the U.S.

“Instead of rewarding elites who take jobs abroad, we need to reward patriotic Canadians who bring their investment home,” said Poilievre.

The Conservative leader had an event scheduled for Thursday evening in Surrey, B.C.

Carney suspended his campaign late Wednesday after hearing news of the auto tariffs. He’s expected to attend an event in Montreal Thursday night.

On Thursday, he chaired the Cabinet Committee on Canada-U.S. Relations as prime minister. He said afterward that Canadians should brace for “fundamental change.”

“The old relationship we had with the United States — based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military co-operations — is over,” he said.

“We will need to dramatically reduce our reliance on the United States. We will need to pivot our trading relationships elsewhere.”

Carney has called a discussion Friday with Canada’s premiers.

– With files from Chuck Chiang in Coquitlam, B.C., David Baxter in Windsor, Ont., and Anja Karadeglija and Alessia Passafiume.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press