Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre released a video highlighting eight facts about the Liberals’ nine-year tenure that has led to the incoming tariffs, along with his six-step plan to secure the border and avoid the tariffs.
Poilievre called for military helicopters and surveillance to be immediately deployed to the border. He also called for expanded Canada Border Services Agency powers to increase the patrol breadth of agents and hire an additional 2,000 agents.
Mexico negotiated a one-month delay on tariffs after committing 10,000 members of its National Guard to prevent drug trafficking at its shared border with the U.S. on Monday, the day before the tariffs were set to be implemented.
“Borders: they are the protective arms wrapped around a people and a land to stop foreign threats and protect against enemies. They mark our place and stake out our ground as a people and a country,” said Poilievre. “But in nine years, the NDP-Liberals have lost control of our borders, letting drugs, guns, and terrorists threaten our people. Part incompetence and part their radical, borderless, globalist post-national agenda.”
The facts referenced by Poilievre highlight the rise in crime, terrorism, illegal immigrants, drugs, and lack of oversight in Canada and at its shared border. He said the Liberals don’t even know how many illegal immigrants are in the country but have admitted it can be anywhere from 20,000 to 500,000, or even more.
Poilievre said that Canada’s southern neighbours cited Canada’s weak border as a rationale for implementing the proposed 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian imports, which are set to take effect on Tuesday.
“These tariffs and these threats are wrong and unjustified, but it should not take a leader of a foreign country for the Liberals to scramble to fix their disastrous, broken border policy. I will take back control of our borders,” he said.
Shortly after releasing his video, Poilievre held a press conference outlining his plan in further detail. He also referenced his “Canada First” plan for interprovincial free trade.
“Here we are, trying to save our trade with another country while we can’t even trade with ourselves,” said Poilievre. “Isn’t it incredible that after nine years of Liberals, it’s easier for criminals to bring drugs and guns illegally over Canada’s border than it is for our entrepreneurs to bring their products over provincial borders?”
While Poilievre outlined the plan he thinks could help Canada avoid tariffs, he said that it’s all for naught, considering the Liberals have prorogued Parliament and no legislation can be passed. He said that the Liberals have put their own self-interests ahead of the Canadian people by proroguing Parliament due to their power struggle.
Colombia dodged tariffs after first facing threats of 25 per cent, and then 50 per cent before they finally succumbed to Trump’s demands to let military planes carrying Colombians deported from U.S. land.
Poilievre said that high-powered scanners should be installed at every major land crossing and shipping port, pointing out that only 1 per cent of shipping containers entering Canada are inspected. The sixth and final step of Poilievre’s plan is to build border surveillance towers and drone systems to spot border incursions.
To pay for Poilievre’s border security plan, Poilievre said he would scrap the Liberals’ firearm buyback program., which despite having $600 million allocated towards it, has yet to collect a single gun.
He said that ending the buyback program would save $600 million that could be used to secure the border against illegal guns, which the Toronto Police have said account for 85 per cent of the crimes committed.
Vice President of Public Relations for the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights Tracey Wilson said Poilievre’s border plan would result in immediate improvements in Canada, aside from simply addressing the trade war.
“This technology can detect and stop not just drugs, but illicit guns and human smuggling too,” she said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said securing the border was critical to Canada’s safety and preserving its trade relationship with the U.S. She reiterated her call for a border czar.
“No more delays,” said Smith. “Do it today!”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump on Monday morning, but no notable announcements came from the first meeting. They are set to meet again at 3:00 pm.
