As the tariff war started by US President Donald Trump continues to have its ripple effect, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the biggest risk to its economy is the Republican leader.
Carney was speaking during a debate that saw him clash with Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, left-wing New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh and Quebec separatist Bloc Quebecois head Yves-Francois Blanchet ahead of the April 28 vote.
He said cooperation between provinces and territories is key to building Canada's economy in the face of the ongoing trade war.
Singh agreed to the need for a strategic response to US tariffs, while Blanchet asked about the actions being taken to support Canadians at this time.
Carney looks to continue his prime ministerial run after he took over from Justin Trudeau on March 14. But, the seasoned banker has multiple pain points to the address with the US - the tariff war, and Trump's repeated talk of making Canada a 51st state of the US.
Poilievre has also promised to stand firm against Trump, but has argued that a decade of weak economic performance under the Trudeau-led Liberals left Canada vulnerable to hostile US trade policies.
In French-speaking Quebec, where the debate was held, Carney has often drawn scrutiny owing to his basic knowledge of the language, while Poilievre speaks fluently at political events.
Quebec, though, remains crucial given that the last three Liberal prime ministers -- Trudeau, Paul Martin and Jean Chretien -- all represented the district in the parliament. The province has 78 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons.
As far as the trade war is concerned, Carney has maintained that Canada's reciprocal tariffs on more than C$60 billion worth of US imports will remain in place until Washington removes its import duties. Carney, who says there is a limit to how far Canada can go in imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs, has promised Canada will thrash out a new economic and security relationship with the US after the election.
Poilievre-led Conservatives are proposing a deal in which Canada and the US simultaneously drop their tariffs and counter-tariffs.
