Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will not change its key policies in response to U.S. tariff threats, saying the Tories’ proposed policies related to cutting taxes and promoting energy projects are now “even more correct.”
In a Feb. 18 social media post, Poilievre reiterated his policies of cancelling the federal carbon tax and capital gains tax hike; approving more pipeline construction and repealing Bill C-69, sometimes called the ‘No More Pipelines Act,’ and “celebrating, not cancelling, our history.”
“These made sense before, they are absolute necessities now,” Poilievre said on social media platform X.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on all Canadian imports and 10 percent on energy over border security concerns. While Trump announced on Feb. 3 that he would pause the tariffs for a month while he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau worked out a “final economic deal,” he has since continued suggesting that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.
Trump also signed proclamations on Feb. 10 to impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including those from Canada, beginning on March 12.
Poilievre’s comments build on a speech he gave on Feb. 15 in Ottawa, where he said some media outlets were “now saying that I should change my entire platform because of the tariff threat.” Poilievre argued that Trump’s tariff threats “have proven Conservatives right on everything.”
Poilievre also accused the Liberals of admitting his policies are correct, saying the new Liberal leadership candidates are supporting some of the measures first proposed by the Tories, such as cancelling the capital gains tax hike and expanding domestic pipelines.
“First the Liberals said, ‘Poilievre has no policies.’ And then they said, ‘Okay, he does, but they’re really scary.’ And now they say they agree with all my policies,” he said.
Poilievre has repeatedly called for the federal government to do away with its carbon tax, making “axe the tax” one of his signature campaign messages. He has argued the tax increases the cost of a range of essential items, from food to fuel, and has repeatedly called for the Liberals to hold a “carbon tax election.”
The top Liberal leadership candidates have proposed getting rid of or lessening the carbon tax, with former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney proposing to replace the consumer carbon tax with an incentive program and making “big polluters” pay more. Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also said she would drop the carbon tax. Karina Gould, another leadership contender and former cabinet minister, has said she would halt the carbon tax hike scheduled in April.
During this rally, Poilievre also said Canada has been forced to import oil from other countries because of a lack of pipelines to bring energy across the country, despite being the fourth-largest global supplier of oil. He said if his party forms government he would remove Bill C-69, which requires additional environmental assessments to build pipelines.
Poilievre also proposed to “end cancel culture and stop the war on our history” by increasing penalties for those who desecrate statues like that of Canada’s first prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald, reinstating the Canadian Navy’s marching anthem “Heart of Oak,” completing a monument paying tribute to Canada’s Afghanistan veterans, and bringing back Canadian historical figures like Terry Fox on the Canadian passport.
Poilievre’s speech came as the Tories have slid in popularity in the polls in recent weeks. The latest Nanos polling from Feb. 18 said the Conservatives have the support of 39 percent of Canadians compared to the Liberals at 32 percent, while in mid-December 2024 they had the support of 43 percent of Canadians compared to the Liberals’ 23 percent.
