U.S. President Donald Trump has requested a call with the prime minister after moving to impose 25 per cent tariffs on cars and light trucks not made in America.
Trump’s escalation in the U.S.-Canada trade war threw a wrench into Canada’s rapid-fire election campaign, now in its fifth day.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney put his campaign on hold to convene a meeting with his cabinet in Ottawa. Speaking later to reporters, he revealed Trump had requested a call yesterday. The two have yet to speak. Instead, Carney will hold a series of high-level meetings tomorrow to prepare.
READ MORE: Carney set to speak with Trump, says old Canada-U.S. relationship ‘over’ amid ongoing tariffs
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre demanded Trump “stop attacking America’s friends,” and that, “Yes, you’ll do damage to us in the short term, but we’ll fight back.” He also made a campaign-style promise to raise TFSA contribution limits.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh retooled his campaign plans to respond to the tariffs, opting to make a campaign stop in Windsor, Ont., an epicentre of auto manufacturing in Canada. He said, “This feels like a betrayal,” and vowed to cut GST on vehicles made in Canada.
Here’s a recap of how Day 5 of the federal election campaign unfolded:
On the trail: Carney returns to campaigning
A few hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney stood on Parliament Hill to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new auto tariffs, he was back on the road to campaign in Quebec.
On Thursday afternoon, Carney stood in the foyer outside the cabinet meeting room on the third floor of West Block and urged Canadians to help build a new economy to withstand Trump’s attempt to “wear us down, to break us so that America can own us.”
Three and a half hours later, he was using similar rhetoric to rally his supporters in Montreal.
Flanked by 28 Quebec Liberal candidates, Carney took to the pavilion stage at the Grand Quail du Port de Montreal.
In his 20-minute stump speech, Carney spoke mostly in French. He used a teleprompter.
According to a transcript of his speech, provided by campaign staff, approximately 75 per cent of the text was in French.
Among the estimated crowd of 1,400 people were familiar Liberal faces, including former justice minister David Lametti, who is a friend and unofficial adviser to Carney.
He and Marco Mendicino, who is now the temporary chief of staff for the Prime Minister’s Office, were previously dropped from Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.
In an interview with media pool producer Kristen Everson of the CBC, Lametti said that Carney’s French is “improving.”
Two days earlier in Nova Scotia, Carney had mispronounced Liberal candidate Nathalie Provost’s name, calling her “Nathalie Provonost” and referring to her as a survivor of the “tragedy of the shootings at Concordia.”
Provost was a survivor of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique massacre.
Lametti called the incident “a mistake.” Lametti resigned from Parliament in January 2024 to join law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin.
When asked by Everson if he would have a role in a government led by Carney, Lametti did not provide a firm answer about a potential offer.
The popularity of the Liberals has surged since Carney became party leader. Multiple polls now show the double-digit lead the Conservatives once held has been erased, turning this election into a coin toss.
Earlier this week, former housing minister Sean Fraser announced he would return to politics and run in the riding of Central Nova again. It was a reversal of a decision he made last December, on the same day former finance minister Chrystia Freeland refused to deliver the fall economic statement, triggering the resignation of Justin Trudeau.
Judy Trinh, CTV News national correspondent
7:45 p.m. EDT: Carney holds campaign rally after tariff meeting
Liberal Leader Mark Carney held a rally in Montreal, Que., where he called U.S. President Donald Trump’s auto tariff an “unjust and pointless” attack on Canada.
“We will fight these actions with retaliatory trade actions that we’ll have the maximum impact on the United States and the minimum impact here in Canada,” he said, garnering cheers from his supporters.
“We will protect our workers and industries during this difficult period.”
Earlier in the day, Carney remained mum on what retaliatory measures Canada plans to impose on the U.S., saying he wanted to see the “reciprocal tariffs” that Trump has promised to announce on April 2.
Trump’s auto tariff forced the Liberal leader to change his campaign schedule on Thursday, prompting him to make a detour to Ottawa, where he met his cabinet to discuss how their tariff response.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election writer
Poilievre hopes TFSA top-up will help fight Trump tariffs
Pierre Poilievre says a Conservative-led government would allow Canadians to make a $5,000 top-up to their Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), but only if that money is being invested in Canadian companies.
The Conservative leader made the announcement at a sheet metal company in Coquitlam, B.C. and framed it as a way to keep investment dollars at home in the face of punishing tariffs from the United States.
“This will bring billions of dollars of investment into Canadian companies, who will then spend it on factories, equipment, tools, wages and making our economy self reliant and strong, our economy has been starved of investment”, said Poilievre.
The Conservatives’ plan to boost investment in Canadian companies comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order for 25 per cent tariffs on foreign-made cars and light trucks and a week before the April 2 deadline for additional global tariffs.
“Knock it off,” said Poilievre in a direct message to Trump. “We will never be the 51st state, but we can once again be friends with the United States if the president reverses course on these disastrous tariff threats.”
Read the full story by Mike Le Couteur, CTV National News senior political correspondent, here.
Carney says old Canada-U.S. relationship ‘over’ amid ongoing tariffs
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that the decades-old Canada-U.S. relationship is over, and that he plans to speak with the U.S. president in the coming days, as Donald Trump ratchets up his global trade war.
Carney spoke to reporters on Parliament Hill following an emergency cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
“The president of the United States reached out to schedule a call,” Carney said, pressing pause on his election campaign to address the ongoing trade war with the U.S.
“I appreciate this opportunity to discuss how we can protect our workers and build our economies,” he added. “I will make clear to the president that those interests are best served by cooperation and mutual respect, including of our sovereignty.”
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all automobile imports into the U.S., starting next week. Carney says Canada’s response will also be announced next week.
Read the full story by CTV Ottawa News Bureau’s Spencer Van Dyk here.
Nanos Research: Dec. 27, 2024, seat projection vs. Mar. 21, 2025
On Dec. 27, 2024, the Conservatives appeared to be on their way to a majority government as support for the Liberals collapsed.
“If there was a showdown between Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre, it would have been a super-majority for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives,” said Nanos Research Chair and CTV News’ official pollster, Nik Nanos.
More than two months later, however, brought on by the resignation of Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of damaging tariffs, the voting landscape has shifted.
The Liberals, led by their new leader Mark Carney, are surging, while Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives look to be losing momentum with one month until the Apr. 28 vote.
Still, according to the latest projections, the Conservatives are predicted to win more seats than the Liberals.
“They’re up in the province of Ontario, seat rich, favouring the Conservatives right now, which means that battleground Ontario is ground zero for Pierre Poilievre if he wants to have a chance to form a government,” Nanos said. The Conservative leader spent the first days of the campaign in the Greater Toronto Area.
Here’s a look at how the seat projection has changed between Dec. 27, 2024, and Mar. 21, 2025, according to Nanos Research.
NATIONAL
GREATER TORONTO AREA
ATLANTIC CANADA
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election writer. With files from the CTVNews.ca election desk.
4:55 p.m. EDT: Ford says call with U.S. commerce secretary ‘productive’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had a “very productive” call last night following the announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on cars and light trucks not made in America.
Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park, Ford said during the call, which lasted for about 25 minutes, Lutnick provided him with the details of the executive order.
The premier also shared Lutnick told him that the tariff wouldn’t result in any factory closures. However, Ford said he did not personally believe the commerce secretary.
“It was a very productive conversation last night, but in saying all that, we need to retaliate,” Ford said, adding that he and Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to wait until April 2 to respond. That will be the day Trump says more reciprocal tariffs will be announced.
READ MORE: Ford says he spoke with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about auto tarriffs
During a separate news conference in Ottawa, Carney confirmed what Ford said. When pressed on Canada’s counterattack, the prime minister said, “We are going to know a lot more in a week.”
“It doesn’t make sense to tip your hand,” he added.
Carney, who said the U.S. “is no longer a reliable partner,” insisted that “nothing is off the table” and that “we will fight back with everything we have.”
Carney also shared that the U.S. president reached out to him last night to schedule a call, which he believed would”be the start of a negotiation.
“We will be speaking soon, certainly in the course of the next day or two,” he said.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election writer. With files from Chris Fox and the CTVNews.ca election desk.
4:20 p.m. EDT: Singh wraps his day with workers in windy Windsor
The NDP campaign bus is now rolling out of Windsor, Ont. concluding Leader Jagmeet Singh’s day of auto worker-focused events.
Singh first met with a few local union presidents representing workers from Ford, Stellantis, and auto parts manufacturers. He then made a policy announcement about his plan to protect auto workers. It included promises to ensure every dollar collected from counter tariffs goes directly to workers, boosting EI and extending coverage to families, banning asset stripping from Canadian auto plants, and mandating federal departments buy Canadian-made vehicles.
The NDP would also exempt Canadian-made cars and trucks from the GST. Speaking with reporters, a few union representatives spoke about the situation they’re facing on the front lines of the Canada-U.S. trade war. They said they are in shock, but they have resolve to stand up against U.S. President Donald Trump, and hope whoever wins this election does, too.
Singh then stopped by the Stellantis plant to meet workers at shift change, and received a mixed reaction. Some stopped to shake his hand, others didn’t, and one man was seen flipping him off as he passed by.
Rachel Aiello, CTV News national correspondent
3:55 p.m. EDT: Fans boo U.S. anthem before Blue Jays home opener at Toronto’s Rogers Centre
Some Blue Jays fans booed the United States’ national anthem at Toronto’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
There were scattered but audible boos from the sold-out crowd at Rogers Centre as the “The Star-Spangled Banner” was sung by the 40-person ensemble from the local stage production of “the Lion King.”
Those jeers turned to cheers and singing as the crowd joined in with the musical’s cast for “O Canada” as members of the Canadian armed forces unfurled a giant Canadian flag in the outfield.
Fans at hockey, basketball and pro wrestling events in Canada have been booing the U.S. anthem in response to American President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs and repeated suggestions that Canada should join the U.S. as its “51st state.”
The Canadian Press. Read the full story here.
3:53 p.m. EDT: Poilievre on accusations that he sounds like Trump
When CTV News reporter Mike Le Couteur asked Poilievre how he could stand up against Trump, amid accusations that he sounded like the U.S. President, the Conservative leader sidestepped the question.
Poilievre said Trump wants the Liberals to win, referring to the American president’s recent comments to Fox News, where he said it’s “easier to deal” with the Liberals.
“The president would love nothing more to keep the Liberals in power so that he can keep abusing our economy and taking advantage of Canada,” Poilievre said during a campaign stop in Coquitlam, B.C.
“The question Canadians will have to answer is whether they think the Liberals are owed a fourth mandate, after they drove up costs and crime and weakened our economy,” he said.
Poilievre has vowed that a Conservative government would fight back against Trump’s tariffs.“
The world needs our resources and our expertise. If you, Mr. Trump, don’t want them, the rest of the world does,” he said on Thursday.
The Liberals have compared Poilievre to Trump, running attack ads that draw similarities between their messages.
In a new ad, the Grits used Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s comments to U.S. news outlet Breitbart, where she told them that the “perspective” the Conservative leader would bring “would be very much in sync with I think the new direction in America.”
Earlier this week, when Poilievre was asked about Smith’s interview, he said: “People are free to make their own comments. I speak for myself.”
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election writer. With files from The Canadian Press
3:40 p.m. EDT: Trade war has a ‘silver lining’: Carney
“There is a big silver lining in this situation,” said Carney. “We’re taking the lesson. We have to look after ourselves. We have to build Canada strong.”
Asked if Canada can sustain an auto industry while weaning off reliance on the U.S., he said it’s possible to “reimagine” the sector so long as the country can open access to other markets. It will take collaboration with labour leaders, he added, which is part of the reason why he met with the president of Unifor on the campaign trail.
Carney has not ruled out expanding trade with the Europeans. He also acknowledged Trump’s late-night Truth Social post, warning that if the EU and Canada work “in order to do economic harm” to the U.S., “far larger” tariffs would come after.
“We’re a sovereign nation. We take our own decisions,” he said. “I take note of his comments, nothing more.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
3:25 p.m. EDT: Canada will wait to respond to Trump tariffs
Carney was asked to clarify what the Canadian government will do to retaliate against U.S. tariffs.
He said that, because there are more tariffs expected to arrive on April 2 – when Trump will impose reciprocal taxes on all countries – Canada should wait until it has the full picture before responding.
“We are going to know a lot more in a week,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to tip your hand.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
3:20 p.m. EDT: Trump call to happen in ‘the next day or two’
Carney says he has not yet spoken to the U.S. president, but that “we will be speaking soon, certainly in the course of the next day or two.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
3:15 p.m. EDT: PM Carney: U.S. is ‘no longer a reliable partner’
A day after Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on foreign-made cars and trucks, Carney said Thursday that it’s clear “the United States is no longer a reliable partner.”
Carney said future governments will have a “fundamentally different relationship” with the United States.
Phil Hahn, election editor-in-chief, CTVNews.ca
3:11 p.m. EDT: Carney: ‘I disagree with him’
Prime Minister Carney says he respects Trump’s stated goal of growing the American manufacturing industry, but that “I disagree with him that this is how to help them.”
He said Canada will “fight the U.S. tariffs with retaliatory trade actions of our own.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
3:08 p.m. EDT: Trump reached out last night to schedule a call: Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Trump reached out last night to schedule a call.
Carney is convening a call with premiers to be held tomorrow, he’ll also speak with the business heads and Indigenous leaders.
Those meeting will allow the government to consider a measured response to American tariffs.
“We will respond with strength,” he said in French.
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
3:05 p.m. EDT: ‘Stop attacking America’s friends’: Poilievre message to Trump
Pierre Poilievre says if Conservatives are elected to form government, they will “fight back” against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“My message to President Trump is, knock it off,” Poilievre said, repeating earlier sentiments.
“Stop attacking America’s friends. Start trading so that we can once again become richer, stronger and more secure on both sides of the border.”
Poilievre made the remarks during a campaign announcement at Apollo Sheet Metal factory in Coquitlam, B.C., a day after Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on foreign-made cars and trucks.
“We will never be the 51st state, but we can once again be friends with the United States if the president reverses course on these disastrous tariff threats,” he said.
“I have a further message for President Trump: if you decide to go down this road, this is what’s going to happen. Yes, you’ll do damage to us in the short term, but we’ll fight back, and we will build back. Within four years of a new, strong, Conservative government, Canada will be completely rebuilt. We will rebuild our economy. We will not be reliant on the U.S. anymore, and the Americans will have lost the greatest trading partner and friend they ever had.”
Earlier today, Poilievre promised to boost the amount that can be put into a tax-free savings account if the funds are used to support domestic growth.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election writer. With files from The Canadian Press
2:45 p.m. EDT: Singh says ‘we’ve got to fight like hell’ against tariffs
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh laid out his party’s plan to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats Thursday and said that would include barring manufacturing equipment from leaving the country.
Singh made a last-minute stop in Windsor, Ont. Thursday to meet with auto workers in the wake of Trump’s renewed threats against Canada’s auto sector.
“Canadians are angry, but people in Windsor are pissed off,” said Singh, who grew up in the border city. “This feels like a betrayal, a gut punch for absolutely no reason. Donald Trump has started an illegal trade war with Canada, one of their best allies, for absolutely no reason, and now workers are reeling.”
Singh said the NDP would make sure that every dollar from counter tariffs goes to workers and communities hit hardest by the U.S. tariffs
He also said that Canada should not allow any of the equipment at local facilities to be removed.
“Not a single piece of equipment should be taken out of any of our companies here in this country,” Singh said. “We invested in that equipment. Canadians invested in that equipment. We’re not going to let a single piece of equipment, a single piece of manufacturing equipment, leave this country.”
Other elements of the NDP plan include stronger EI and a plan to make sure that federal departments and agencies purchase made-in-Canada vehicles.
Singh said that while he expects to have policy disagreements with the other parties, and will continue to be critical of them, Canada needs to have a united voice in its tariff response.
“When it comes to the way we deal with Donald Trump, I think we all need to be united,” Singh said. “We all stand together to fight back; retaliatory tariffs, defending Canadian jobs, Canadian workers. We all have to be united in the fight against Donald Trump.”
He said he has not spoken with Mark Carney since Trump’s tariff announcement this week.
Joshua Freeman, CTVNews.ca federal election writer
2:42 p.m. EDT: Ford says he and Carney agreed not to impose counter measures until April 2
Ontario premier Doug Ford on Thursday told reporters he had just spoken to Prime Minister Mark Carney and the two men agreed not to impose counter measures against U.S. imports until April 2.
Carney is due to respond later on Thursday to the auto sector tariffs that Trump announced on Wednesday.
Reuters
2 p.m. EDT: Carney to speak soon
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to speak shortly following a high stakes meeting with members of his cabinet earlier today.
The Carney team took a detour from their election campaign to convene the meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Canada-U.S. Relations and National Security.
While his public schedule does not include the details of his announcement, he’s expected to comment on Canada’s response, if any, to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on autos made outside the United States.
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
1:20 p.m. EDT: Auto stocks drop
Auto stocks are seeing losses today as the industry reels from Trump’s tariff threats.
- General Motors is down seven per cent at US$47.40.
- Ford Motor Co is down 2.28 per cent at US$10.07
- Stellantis NV is down 1.68 per cent at US$11.74
One exception: Tesla. Elon Musk’s EV company’s stock was up 1.26 per cent at US$275.48 this afternoon in a tampered return from steeper gains this morning.
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
Read the full story here.
12:52 p.m. EDT: ‘Made-in-Manitoba’ program to get $1.5M
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the province wants to make it easier for businesses to weather the storm of U.S. tariffs that are to be placed on Canadian goods in the coming days.
Kinew says the province is setting aside $1.5 million for the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters trade association to create a “made-in-Manitoba” program offering tariff response support for local businesses.
Terry Shaw with the association says the program would provide manufacturers with tools they need to diversify markets, protect jobs and mitigate the impact of tariffs.
The Canadian Press
11:50 a.m. EDT: Carney to speak this afternoon
Prime Minister Mark Carney will hold a news conference this afternoon following his Canada-U.S. relations cabinet meeting.
The 1:30 p.m. EDT event was just added to the prime minister’s public itinerary.
It did not include details on any upcoming announcements, though he will undoubtedly face questions on Canada’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to impose tariffs on foreign autos.
In a late-night Truth Social post, Trump warned any collaboration between Canada and the EU which would do “economic harm” to the U.S. would be met with “far larger” tariffs.
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
11:20 a.m. EDT: Canadian dollar, Mexican peso drop on auto tariffs
The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso weakened after Trump announced auto trade levies.
The Canadian dollar fell 0.31 per cent to C$1.43 per dollar. The Mexican peso weakened 1.04 per cent to 20.337 per U.S. dollar.
The U.S. imported US$474 billion of automotive products in 2024, including passenger cars worth US$220 billion. Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Germany were the biggest suppliers.
The euro, meanwhile, was stronger on the day and is on track to end a bearish streak of six consecutive days of losses against the U.S. dollar.
It was last up 0.25 per cent at US$1.0779, after earlier dropping to a three-week low of US$1.0731.
Reuters
11:05 a.m. EDT: Poilievre promises $5,000 more TFSA room for Canadian investments
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to allow Canadians to save an extra $5,000 a year in their Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA) if that money is put into Canadian investments.
In a social media post on X, Poilievre said Canadians would still be able to invest $7,000 a year, however they choose, within a TFSA. However the “Canada First TFSA Top-Up” would allow them to invest an additional $5,000 if those investments are in Canadian companies.
“The tax system already defines these kinds of Canadian investments, and my government will create a definition that will let financial institutions and advisors tell you which investments can go into your Canada First TFSA Top-Up,” Poilievre said in a video.
He said the move would “bring home billions of dollars of investment and jobs to Canada” and would “help us become more self-reliant and sovereign as we stand on our own two feet and stand up to the Americans.”
Read the full story here.
Joshua Freeman, CTVNews.ca federal election writer
10 a.m. EDT: Carney back in Ottawa
Prime Minister Mark Carney has put his campaign on hold this morning to convene his Canada-U.S. cabinet committee for trade war discussions in Ottawa.
Arriving with his motorcade on Parliament Hill, Carney was asked if he had a message for Canadian auto workers the morning after Trump moved to impose tariffs on vehicles made outside the U.S. He declined the opportunity to comment on his way inside, promising to share more after the high-stakes meeting.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne stopped to speak with reporters on his way into the meeting. He was asked if he was surprised by the tariffs.
“We are here this morning to fight for Canada, to fight for workers, and to fight for industry,” he said, reiterating that the tariffs would also raise prices on U.S. consumers.
Luca Caruso-Moro, breaking news digital assignment editor
9:45 a.m. EDT: Reid: ‘You cannot steer the ship around Donald Trump’
As tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump move front-and-centre in the Canadian election, it may be more difficult for the candidates to focus on other topics.
“Donald Trump has completely changed this election, and we expected and worried that this would occur, but it has now occurred, and it propels us into an entirely new phase,” said Scott Reid, principal and co-founder of Feschuk and CTV News political analyst.
He said the Trump threat “puts enormous pressure on every single one of the campaigns,” with many Canadians now worried about potential layoffs due to the possible economic fallout.
“You cannot steer the ship around Donald Trump,” Reid said. “He is the iceberg that confronts our politics and our future.”
Each of the leaders will need to make the case that they are the ones best-suited to manage the crisis now, Reid said, even if they would rather be talking about other policy points.
He noted that the federal election is now hearing “echoes” of the recent Ontario election, which Premier Doug Ford called on the threat of tariffs and he said provincial politics could play a larger role than usual, with different premiers maneuvering to position their provinces to deal with the threat.
“Who was Carney’s first call last night as prime minister? It was to Doug Ford. Does this mean that maybe we’re going to see Doug Ford returning to the threats to use electricity exports as a lever in these discussions?” Reid mused.
“And he’s not the only premier on the map today. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is in the United States meeting with right-wing podcaster Ben Shapiro, and her argument has been, we need to appease Donald Trump. We need to cut side deals, keep energy off the table.”
Because of Trump, Reid said, the candidates are now playing “a completely new ballgame.”
Joshua Freeman, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
On the trail: Singh’s campaign pivots, heading to auto epicentre Windsor
I’m Rachel Aiello and I’m covering the NDP campaign. Today, Leader Jagmeet Singh will be taking his campaign to Windsor, Ont.
But, that wasn’t where he was supposed to be spending his day. His team made a decision late Wednesday to pivot their plans after U.S. President Donald Trump moved to impose more tariffs, this time on foreign autos.
So, instead of events in London, Ont., his bus and all those travelling on it are spending the morning on the road to the epicentre of this country’s auto sector.
There, he will meet first privately with local Unifor auto leadership and then make an announcement at a union hall. Later in the day, the NDP leader will visit Stellantis for a plant-gate event at shift change.
This move comes after Singh faced a series of questions from reporters about changing his plans, and whether he missed the moment while in Hamilton, Ont. Wednesday to meet with workers impacted by Trump’s tariffs.
Singh, who grew up in Windsor and spoke about what its like when workers in the auto and adjoining sectors lost their job, called the situation “heartbreaking,” and “a direct attack on our workers,” but stopped short of confirming last night his intention to change course.
Last night at a campaign office event, Singh was backed by members of Unifor and the United Steel Workers. Speaking to reporters afterwards, President of Unifor Local 1859 Dave McDowell, who works in the auto parts sector said he’s hearing of worry among his colleagues on the floor.
Asked by CTV News if he’d like to see Singh meet with workers and talk to them about his plans to protect jobs while on the trail, he said he thought that would be great.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney was in Windsor, Ont. yesterday and unveiled a sizable auto sector support package. He has directed his campaign back to Ottawa, in his capacity as prime minister, to convene his Canada-U.S. cabinet committee for trade war discussions.
Rachel Aiello, CTV News national correspondent
On the trail: Carney to spend Thursday dealing with tariffs
On Thursday, Mark Carney will chair an urgent meeting of his U.S.- Canada cabinet council to deliberate what actions to take after Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on foreign autos.
The government is currently in “caretaker mode” and staff are dealing with uncertain protocols. The majority of Parliamentary staffers are currently working with the campaign. They’ve had to replace their government cell phones with personal ones.
As campaign workers, they no longer have their parliamentary passes and cannot access West Block or any other government buildings.
On the plane, campaign staff traveling with Carney could not answer questions such as if the emergency cabinet meeting would be carried out virtually or if ministers were also flying back to Ottawa.
Reporters were told to direct their questions to the Prime Minister’s Office and Carney’s Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino, one of the few remaining political staff on the hill at this time.
Carney learned of the Trump announcement as he was campaigning in the manufacturing heartland of southern Ontario.
About two hours after learning of the tariffs, the Carney election team cancelled its campaign trip to Quebec City and redirected the plane back to Ottawa.
But before getting on the flight, Carney walked into Bingeman’s conference centre in Kitchener-Waterloo.
A capacity crowd of 1,650 waited for Carney inside, while about 150 more people lined up outside to catch a glimpse of the leader boarding his bus.
The new tariffs are coming as the Carney campaign is heating up. Carney visited three cities in one day Wednesday.
He began in Windsor where he released a policy plank on strengthening the auto sector while standing by the Ambassador Bridge.
Then he travelled to London to tour a plastic plant before walking into the rally in Kitchener.
Judy Trinh, CTV News national correspondent
Meanwhile, here’s a recap of what happened on the campaign trail on Day 4:
Trump auto tariff
As party leaders were preparing to greet their supporters at their respective evening rallies, Trump signed an executive order to impose tariffs on all automobile imports, which will take effect starting next week.
According to a fact sheet from the White House, automobiles imported under CUSMA, or the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, will only be tariffed on the value of content not made in the U.S.
Carney and Singh both said the tariff was a “direct attack” on Canada’s auto workers, while Poilievre called them “unjustified” and “unprovoked.”
The Liberal leader said he would discuss with his council how Canada will respond to America’s latest tariff move.
Trump warns Canada, EU not to retaliate together
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that larger tariffs could be placed on the European Union and Canada if they both work together “to do economic harm to the USA.”
“If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
On Wednesday, Trump unveiled a 25 per cent tariff on imported vehicles, expanding a global trade war and prompting criticism and threats of retaliation from affected U.S. allies.
Reuters. Read the full story here.
Tax haven accusation
Carney was on the defence Wednesday as other candidates and reporters pressed him on his previous job with Brookfield Asset Management.
At the firm, he co-chaired two investment funds that were registered in Bermuda, among other locations, to allegedly allow investors to benefit from tax advantages, according to information obtained by Radio-Canada.
When asked by a reporter whether it was “ethical” for the funds to be registered in a well-known tax haven, Carney responded that it provided “an efficiency of a structure” that essentially allowed them to avoid double taxation.
Poilievre and Singh accused the Liberal leader of registering the two funds in Bermuda to avoid paying taxes, which Carney denied.
What leaders promised
Hours before the tariff was announced, Carney held a campaign stop under the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., where he promised a $2-billion fund to help protect the jobs of workers in the auto manufacturing industry who would be impacted by Trump’s action.
Campaigning in Quebec, Poilievre vowed that he would keep the retirement age at 65 for the CPP, OAS and the guaranteed income supplement. A Conservative government, he said, would allow working seniors to earn up to $34,000 tax-free. He also released his Quebec platform that promises to respect the province’s autonomy.
Meanwhile, the NDP leader unveiled his party’s tax plan, which includes eliminating the GST on essential items, increasing the basic personal income allowance to $19,500, doubling the Canada Disability Benefit and increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors.
The Green party promised to raise the federal basic personal amount, or the amount of money a person can make without paying taxes on it, from less than $16,000 per year to $40,000.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election writer. With files from the CTV News election desk and The Canadian Press
