Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Danielle Smith is “free” to express her opinions on the U.S.-Canada trade war after the Alberta premier was accused of soliciting Donald Trump’s intervention in the federal election.
Speaking to reporters in Brampton, Ont., Monday, Poilievre was asked if Smith’s recent comments to U.S. right-wing network Breitbart were “appropriate.”
“People are free to make their own comments. I speak for myself,” Poilievre said before launching into an attack on the Liberals under Mark Carney.
Smith provoked controversy on the eve of the federal election campaign after the audio of her appearance on a Breitbart podcast made the rounds on social media. In the clip, Smith seemed to suggest she asked the Trump administration to pause tariffs during Canada’s federal election because they were helping Carney’s Liberals to the detriment of the Conservative party.
“Because of what we see as unjust and unfair tariffs, it’s actually caused an increase in support for the Liberals. And so that’s what I fear — is that the longer this dispute goes on, politicians posture and it seems to be benefiting the Liberals right now,” Smith said.
“‘I would hope that we could put things on pause, is what I’ve told administration officials: ‘Let’s just put things on pause so we can get through an election. Let’s have the best person at the table make the argument for how they would deal with that,’ and I think that’s Pierre Poilievre.”
In a statement to Global News Sunday, Smith’s office said she wasn’t asking the Trump Administration to interfere in Canada’s election and called those suggestions offensive.
On Monday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called Smith’s comments “shameful.”
“If you break down what Danielle Smith is proposing, she’s talking about taking steps to harm the Liberals and to prevent tariffs in a political manner to create a political outcome,” Singh said at a press conference.
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“She should be talking about stopping tariffs to protect Canadians … She shouldn’t be saying to do it in a way that benefits one party or another.”
Trump’s economic attack on Canada has dominated the federal political conversation since the U.S. president first announced 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs once he retook the White House.
Tariffs are taxes imposed on goods imported from other countries, meaning U.S. consumers and businesses now have to pay more for goods from Canada.
The Canadian government, then under prime minister Justin Trudeau, responded in kind with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports. Trump vowed new “reciprocal” tariffs on Canada’s auto, pharmaceutical and semiconductor exports that would take effect on April 2, but media reports over the weekend suggested the administration might “delay” some sector-specific tariffs.
The trade war, along with Trudeau’s resignation and Carney’s leadership victory, all coincided with a dramatic improvement in the Liberal Party’s fortunes in the general election.
Poilievre and his team have struggled to shift the political conversation back to affordability and taxes — their preferred framing for the election — amidst the turmoil.
Echoing some of Trump’s recent comments, Poilievre suggested that Trump would prefer a Liberal victory because it would make Canada a “bigger target” for the U.S.
“That’s why the choice in this election is whether we’re going to elect weak, out-of-touch Liberals to a fourth mandate, or whether it is time to put Canada first for a change with a new Conservative government … so that we can confront Donald Trump and the Americans from a position of strength,” Poilievre said.
Smith has been outspoken during the trade dispute with the Trump administration, and often offside of some of her fellow premiers and the federal Liberals.
In one of his first trips as prime minister, Carney traveled to Edmonton to meet with Smith and received a list of “demands” from the Alberta premier. Failing to meet those demands, Smith warned, could provoke a “national unity crisis.”
Her March 8 Breitbart interview was not Smith’s first appearance with U.S. right-wing networks. The former radio host also received criticism for agreeing to attend a PragerU event on March 27 with Ben Shapiro, a far-right personality who has applauded Trump’s musings about annexing Canada.
Smith’s office defended the decision to attend the event, saying it gives an opportunity to reach Shapiro’s millions of social media followers and “strong connections” with the Trump administration.
Smith has also been photographed with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s Florida estate.
Asked about Smith’s intervention by reporters in Ottawa Monday, Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault said that foreign interference is not defined in Canada’s Elections Act.
“But there are a number of provisions in the act that may be relevant to foreign interference,” Perrault added.
“So, for example, there is a provision on undue influence by foreign entities. There are rules on spending in third-party activities. The fact that you refer to do not trigger any of these.”
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Carney said he takes “note of (Smith’s) alignment of Mr. Poilievre and Mr. Trump and would note that that’s one of the decisions that Canadians will have to make.”
— With files from Sophall Duch, Karen Bartko and the Canadian Press.
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