Former PM Stephen Harper weighs in on looming Canada-U.S. trade war

David Menzies and Sheila Gunn Reid share their thoughts on former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper weighing in on President-elect Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on Canadian imports to the U.S.

“I understand that Donald Trump may want some changes in trade arrangements, but I must admit to being shocked by some of the things he said, they're just not true,” said former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper in response to the incoming U.S. president's threat to impose tariffs or even to annex Canada and make it the 51st state.

“We don't actually sell dairy in the United States, or sell almost none,” the former PM said, responding to Trump's remarks about not needing Canadian dairy.

“It's true that Canada presently has a modest trade surplus with the United States. The reason we do, is because (Americans) buy so much of our oil and gas. In fact, (Americans) buy it at a discount to world markets — it's actually Canada that subsidizes the United States.”

On Wednesday's Rebel Roundup livestream, David Menzies and Sheila Gunn Reid shared their thoughts on Harper's assessment of the potential trade war between Canada and the U.S.

“Boy, I'm getting so nostalgic to see an adult in the room, to see someone with gravitas, to see someone who comprehends all the issues and comes at this debate with an informed perspective,” David said, noting the former PM “made some excellent points.”

“It would be wonderful if we could sell our oil to other markets as well as the United States,” added Sheila.

“But it takes time to build pipelines, and Justin Trudeau would not allow us to build export pipelines. That's just the way it is, not only would [he] not allow us to build the ones that were proposed but also sabotaged any future pipeline proposals through an onerous regulatory process that is a prohibition in itself.”

The current Liberal regime, Sheila said, lacks an understanding of the issue from both an American and Canadian perspective because of how out-of-touch the party has become.

Watch new Rebel Roundup livestreams every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MT).

Please help Rebel News fight back in Campaign 2025!

Justin Trudeau’s so-called resignation is a sham — he’s clinging to power, proroguing Parliament, and setting the stage for cronyism and foreign interference in the Liberal leadership race. Rebel News is fighting back by exposing Trudeau’s scheme, vetting the Liberal Party leadership race, and gearing up for the next election with fearless, independent journalism. A generous but anonymous donor has committed to match every dollar donated to this campaign up to $50,000, doubling the impact of your donation. Please chip in now and help Rebel News defend Canadian democracy!

Amount
$

Rebel News

Staff

Articles written by staff at Rebel News to help tell the other side of the story. 

COMMENTS

Showing 1 Comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-01-16 21:02:25 -0500
    Our stupid politicians see an advantage in hating Trump. He’s the perfect scapegoat for all the Liberal failures. And if tariffs are imposed and the economy tanks, they can stir up the sheeple to vote for them to deal with the orange menace. They don’t care about ordinary folks who will be brutalized by this punitive tariff. And useful idiots will do their dirty work for them.