Liberal party leadership candidates in Canada debate who is best to deal
with Trump
 [February 26, 2025]
By JIM MORRIS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The four candidates vying to become
the next leader of Canada’s Liberal party made the case during a debate
Tuesday night why they are best suited to deal with U.S. President
Donald Trump.
Former central banker Mark Carney, former Finance Minister Chrystia
Freeland, former government House leader Karina Gould and former
Montreal-area Member of Parliament Frank Baylis all agreed Trump’s
tariff threats pose a danger to Canada’s sovereignty.
Carney, who is considered the frontrunner to replace Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau, said his experience dealing with financial crises as the
former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England gives him
an advantage.
“During a crisis it’s important to distinguish what you can’t control,
what you can control,” he said. “We cannot change Donald Trump, but we
can control our economic destiny.”
Carney said he would gather the Canadian premiers together and fight
back with dollar-for-dollar tariffs against the U.S. that would have a
minimal impact on Canada.
Freeland said she was part of the Canadian team that negotiated the
U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal during Trump’s first administration.
“I have the experience, the plan and the guts to stand up to Trump, to
tell him that Canada is not for sale,” she said. “If he hits us, we’ll
hit back.”
Freeland also favors retaliatory tariffs. She would target Florida
orange juice and the Wisconsin dairy industry and would put a 100%
tariff on Tesla vehicles coming into Canada.
Trump said Monday his executive order to implement 25% tariffs on all
Canadian imports, with a lower 10% levy on energy, would go ahead March
4.
Trump also has irritated Canadians by saying Canada should become the
51st state.
Baylis, a Montreal businessman, said he would meet with Mexican
President Claudia Sheinbaum and devise a unified strategy to deal with
Trump.
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Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland,
second right, speaks as Karina Gould, lfrom eft, Frank Baylis, and
Mark Carney look on during the English-language Liberal Leadership
debate in Montreal, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The
Canadian Press via AP)
“We’re not going to let him take our jobs away and we’re going to be
putting into place very intelligent counter tariffs,” he said.
Gould said she would spearhead a “Team Canada” approach in the U.S.
to contact both business leaders and citizens.
“It is American citizens who are going to feel the impact of these
tariffs and we need to let them know that is not Canada’s decision,”
she said.
Gould would encourage Canadians to stop traveling to Florida and
also to stop buying Florida orange juice.
Freeland’s surprise resignation in December prompted Trudeau to
announce Jan. 6 he was stepping down as party leader and prime
minister. The Liberals chose a new leader on March 9.
The next Liberal leader could be the shortest-tenured prime minister
in the country’s history. All three opposition parties have vowed to
bring down the Liberals’ minority government in a no-confidence vote
after parliament resumes on March 24.
A fifth Liberal leadership candidate was disqualified from the race.
The party said former MP Ruby Dhalla was removed because she
violated multiple rules.
During the debate, the candidates also discussed topics such as
improving Canada’s health care system, affordability and improving
the country’s military.
A French language debate was also held Monday night in Montreal.
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