John Rustad urges Premier David Eby to moderate his response to American tariff threats, emphasizing the potential economic damage to British Columbia. Rustad highlights the historical trading relationship between Canada and the United States, cautioning against escalating the situation. He also tackles the issue of drug and migrant flow across the border, stating that Canada has a vested interest in taking measures to stem the tide.
Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad on Thursday (Jan. 23) called on Premier David Eby to moderate his rhetoric in response to American tariff threats. Rustad stated, 'Look, we can pick a trade war anytime we want. The reality is we are going to get our butt kicked and we have to understand that.' His comments followed a comprehensive interview with Black Press Media about the potential 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, which could take effect as early as February 1st.
Rustad also addressed his recent comments in a CBC interview where he characterized the United States as Canada's strongest ally. When questioned about the nature of an ally that threatens another with tariffs and economic coercion, such as the recent address by U.S. President Donald Trump to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rustad acknowledged Trump's 'bluster' but emphasized the historically strong commercial and geopolitical ties between Canada and the United States. 'Donald Trump may want to change that; we'll see how that plays out,' Rustad said. 'But my perspective is very clear: the States are still important trading partners,' he added, highlighting B.C.'s reliance on American food and tourists. 'If we were suddenly looking at the United States as an enemy, the damage that would be done to Canada, to British Columbia particularly, would be immeasurable.' Developments, however, suggest the United States might be treating Canada as an adversary, as Eby stated the other day that the United States, not Canada, initiated this conflict. When asked to assess the validity of Eby's statement, Rustad responded, 'We are not in a fight. We are seeing words bouncing around.' He added, 'We are not in a fight and when you see this sort of rhetoric, I understand entirely why Trump says Canada is difficult to work with. With the last 10 years, we had Justin Trudeau, who quite frankly, has been an idiot in terms of what he's done for Canada. So I understand why Trump would be frustrated with that. I'm frustrated with what has been happening in Canada.' Trump has linked his tariff threats to Canada's purported failure to prevent drugs and migrants from entering the United States. However, numerous commentators argue that it is not Canada's responsibility to safeguard the U.S. border. Some dismiss Trump's linkage between tariffs and the state of Canadian borders as a pretext for his intended actions. Rustad told the CBC that the two issues are interconnected. While border protection is a federal jurisdiction, containers passing through British Columbia fall under B.C.'s jurisdiction, Rustad explained, noting that less than one percent of containers are inspected. With over 15,000 people dying from poisoned drugs, he questioned, 'Why would we not want to be trying to stop the flow of drugs?' Rustad advocated for proactive measures, stating, 'So let's do it, and if the federal government is inept and decides not to do it...then we've got to step up to the plate and just do it.' He added that B.C. would then bill the federal government for performing the necessary work. Beyond self-interest, Rustad argued that such action would signal cooperation, emphasizing, 'This is the longest, undefended border in the world — let's figure out we work together on it.' Rustad stated to CBC that Canada would retain the right to retaliate if Trump imposed tariffs, even after Canada had taken steps to protect the border. A discussion about whether Canada's response should hinge on the U.S.'s opinion led to Rustad's 'butt kicked' comment, highlighting B.C.'s dependence on American food and tourists. He declared, 'How much damage does David Eby want to do to British Columbia? This is absolutely insane to be thinking this way.' Retaliatory tariffs are not unprecedented; Canada imposed them on the U.S. during Trump's first term, and the European Union utilized them to achieve what experts describe as an 'armistice' on certain trade issues. Rustad questioned the applicability of this strategy to Canada, stating that the European Union is a larger market (with a population of 450 million) with 'tons of different options' unavailable to Canada. 'We are 40 million people sitting next to our largest trading partner and the largest economy in the world,' he pointed out, emphasizing the distinct scenario. In essence, Canada possesses less leverage than the United States, a view shared by some economists. Federal and provincial officials have identified two alternative measures as part of Canada's collective response: diversifying trade abroad and stimulating economic development at home by reducing trade barriers and accelerating permitting. Rustad expressed skepticism about B.C.'s ability to achieve either objective but agreed with the push to lower trade barriers within Canada. He added that tariffs from the United States, followed by a prolonged trade war, would essentially cripple the resource sector, with cascading effects on the entire economy. 'The job losses will be huge,' Rustad warned
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