Business Leaders Urge Trudeau to Recall Parliament to Address US Tariffs

The view of the government benches is seen from the Speaker's chair in the Chamber of the House of Commons, in Ottawa, on Sept. 12, 2024. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

More than 100 Canadian business leaders are banding together to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reconvene Parliament to address tariff threats from the United States.

The letter signed by CEOs from brands like DavidsTea, Grammarly, and Knix asks Trudeau to end prorogation so the House of Commons can deal with the “crisis” they say is causing “turmoil and uncertainty” in Canada.

“We need a strong, empowered, legitimate, and robust government, supported by a sitting and functioning Parliament, to deal with these very grave, complex and delicate matters,” the letter signed by 115 business leaders reads. “The essential legitimacy to do that, as it will be seen inside of Canada, in Washington DC, and everywhere in the world, comes from a sitting and debating Parliament.”

Trudeau announced Jan. 6 his decision to step down as prime minister and Liberal leader after his replacement is chosen on March 9.

He also announced the governor general had prorogued Parliament at his request, suspending all House of Commons proceedings until March 24. The move prevents opposition parties from bringing down the government with a vote of non-confidence and delays a forced election until at least spring.

The letter lists the economic repercussions that could stem from the 25 percent tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and calls for a strong response from Ottawa.

Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 1 to implement a 25 percent tariff on all goods imported from Canada, along with a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products. Trudeau responded with 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods.

A 30-day grace period was secured on Feb. 3 after Trudeau promised to bolster security at the Canada-U.S. border. Trump has said the tariffs will be re-enacted if he is not satisfied with Canada’s progress on dealing with cross-border fentanyl trafficking.

“If the US tariffs are (again) imposed, the people of Canada will suffer dire economic and other consequences. Canadians will likely suffer pressure by the new US government on other fronts as well,” says the letter.

“Therefore, we the undersigned Canadian business and community leaders, request the termination of prorogation and the immediate recall of Parliament, so that our government (with all its branches) may be working with legitimacy and robustness to confront head-on the current crisis and be able to adapt to our new reality and, most importantly, deal productively with the US government.”

Prorogation Battle

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have both called for Parliament to reconvene in order to enact legislation related to Canada’s border and to deliberate on a possible bailout package that could be required for businesses and workers if a trade war becomes a reality.

The prorogation is also the subject of a legal challenge that will be heard in Federal Court on Feb. 13 and 14.

The application filed last month by Nova Scotia residents David MacKinnon and Aris Lavranos says prorogation prevents Parliament from dealing “quickly and decisively” with pressing issues like Trump’s threatened tariffs.

Trudeau was asked during a Feb. 3 press conference announcing retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. whether he would recall Parliament to deal with the issue.

“As you can see from our strong response package … we have the tools to be able to support Canadians through this challenging time as it stands,” Trudeau replied. “This is a moment where we need to set aside our differences and focus on delivering for Canadians, standing up for Canadians and protecting the most successful political, military, economic, and security partnership the world has ever seen, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”