Leaders of the five political parties that held seats in Parliament before dissolution were each interviewed at length by Radio-Canada this week, with the public broadcaster asking some thorny questions of the Liberal and Conservative leaders.
Questions on how to deal with the Trump administration were front and centre, but Liberal Leader Mark Carney was questioned on a number of other topics, including those related to his background prior to entering politics. Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had to provide his stance on some key matters resonating strongly in the province of Quebec.
Conservatives and media outlets have pressed Carney repeatedly in recent weeks to divulge his assets, and this question surfaced again during the Radio-Canada program on April 3.
Brookfield’s use of tax havens in Bermuda and its investments in projects running counter to Carney’s advocacy for low-carbon policies have also surfaced during the campaign.
When asked about these issues and how the public should view him, Carney said he is a “public servant at heart” and that he entered politics to help with the housing and cost-of-living crises, as well as the tariffs crisis, which he said is worse than he had initially anticipated.
Recession
U.S. reciprocal tariffs on its global partners kicked in this week, with Canada being spared because it already faced the tariffs related to border issues. The U.S. tariffs on foreign automobiles that affect Canada came into force on April 3, and Canadian steel and aluminum is also subject to U.S. tariffs, similar to other countries.The Trump administration’s tariff plan has roiled world markets, with the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 dropping over 10 percent since the announcement on April 2.
Asked to comment on the risk of a recession, Carney said it’s likely on a global scale. “What is certain [is that] there’s a risk of recession in the United States,” he said. “The risk of recession of Canada is present,” he added.
Carney wouldn’t say whether a recession could be averted with measures being put in place by his government. “I have a lot of experience and we can never offer guarantees regarding the economy, especially in situations where there’s upheaval.”
On foreign affairs, Carney compared the situation in Ukraine to the Gaza Strip, saying both relate to territorial integrity. “That is absolutely untouchable,” he said in relation to Palestinians’ right over the territory. He added that all efforts must be made to re-establish the cease-fire and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
‘Be Realistic’
Poilievre was also questioned on these two topics involving some the major military flash points in the world.Poilievre said a Conservative government would “strongly” support Ukraine but was also prudent when probed on the involvement of Canadian soldiers.
“We have to be realistic for now,” he said, saying Canada’s military has to catch up with re-arming. He said the priority is currently to reinforce the military’s presence on Canadian ground. “We need to have the capacity to defend ourselves,” he said.
Poilievre has promised that he would cut on foreign aid to rebuild the military, accusing the current government of sending money to “dictators,” “terrorists,” and “global bureaucracies.”
When pressed on which terrorists he’s alluding to, Poilievre mentioned UNRWA, the United Nations agency in charge of providing assistance to Palestinians. Poilievre noted that UNRWA employees had taken part in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre by Hamas in Israel, to which the Radio-Canada host interjected that they had been fired by the UN agency. The host asked who will provide assistance to Palestinians if not UNRWA, to which Poilievre replied that the links between UNRWA and Hamas have been “known for decades.”
On internal matters, Poilievre was asked what he would do if individuals seeking to avoid Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, from countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti, seek to enter Canada for asylum.
“People coming here must do so in an orderly fashion,” said Poilievre, who noted his wife herself came to Canada from Venezuela as a refugee. He repeated his previous stance that the number of immigrants coming into Canada should be lower than jobs and health services available.
Poilievre also stated his opposition to Quebec’s secularism bill, which is before the courts. The bill prevents people in positions of authority from displaying religious symbols.
He said he supports the idea of a secular state, but people at the same time should have their beliefs respected.
Poilievre gave the example of the RCMP bodyguard who’s assigned to his personal detail. “He’s ready to give his life to protect me. He shouldn’t be allowed to have a job because he wears a turban? I don’t agree,” said Poilievre.
Poilievre was also challenged on his plan to revive energy projects such as GNL Quebec, with a Radio-Canada host quoting GNL’s former spokesperson saying it’s an empty electoral promise and asking whether there are any investors to relaunch it.
Poilievre said the reason there are no investors is because the project has been quashed by the government. The Tory leader, who has been critical of the Liberal government’s regulations impacting the energy sector such as the Impact Assessment Act and caps on emissions in the oil and gas sector, repeated his campaign promise to create pre-permitted zones for the development of major projects.
“We can hit Russia and bypass the Americans at once. It can give us the opportunity to sell our gas to Germany, France, Italy, Greece,” Poilievre said about his intention to build out energy infrastructure.
