Trump tariffs chaos, economy the focus of Liberal, Conservative campaigns

OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump and his punishing tariffs got top billing in the federal election again Friday, as the third week of campaigning drew toward a close.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney left the campaign trail for the third time to return to Ottawa for a meeting with his cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations following a week of Trump-inflicted global economic turmoil.

The Cabinet Committee on Canada-U.S. Relations is meeting this morning as part of our ongoing response to President Trump’s tariffs.

Our government is focused on supporting Canadians during this crisis. That’s how we keep Canada strong.

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 11, 2025

Read more:

• Tariffs & Saskatchewan: What do Trump’s tariffs mean for you?
• Canada Votes 2025: Your trusted source for election coverage

While Carney was on Parliament Hill, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre campaigned in St. Catharines, Ont., to promote his full plan to “unleash” Canada’s economic potential.

He was unapologetic about his campaign management, after taking another public tirade from Conservative strategist Kory Teneycke, who said on the Curse of Politics podcast Thursday that Poilievre and his team had engaged in “campaign malpractice” for blowing a 25-point lead over the Liberals.

Most current polls show the Liberals ahead of the Conservatives by several points.

Teneycke just ran Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s successful re-election campaign and was the chief spokesman for former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2015. He has been heavily critical of Poilievre and his campaign team throughout this election.

Asked about the comments during a press conference Friday, Poilievre dismissed the criticism and indicated he’ll continue with his campaign unchanged.

Our Conservative Economic Action Plan will:

✅Cut income tax by 15%
✅Axe the sales tax & building taxes on new homes
✅Bring ZERO capital gains tax when you reinvest in 🇨🇦
✅Train 350,000 trade workers
✅Break dependence on the U.S. with a 🇨🇦 Energy Corridor

Boosting our… pic.twitter.com/zwvwg5wQD3

— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 11, 2025

Poilievre said “Liberals and lobbyists” want him to stop talking about issues like crime and high prices of food and housing, before he repeated his campaign slogans to “axe taxes, build homes, unleash our resources, lock up criminals, and bring home a safe, affordable country.”

Following the event, the Conservatives issued a new policy announcement, promising to require banks to make all skilled trades and apprenticeship programs eligible for Registered Education Savings Plans.

It adds to previous Conservative pledges to boost training and employment for workers in the skilled trades, including a plan would see the federal government offer apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000 and work to allow tradespeople to work anywhere in Canada.

Carney held no campaign events Friday, spending the whole day in Ottawa.

This is a matter of national security.

Donald Trump’s closest allies are circling Canada’s essential infrastructure.

Meanwhile, this Liberal government is leaving the door wide open.

We have to defend our Canadian infrastructure from Trump and his mega-donors.

We’re proud… pic.twitter.com/N0Lh3DvkrO

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 11, 2025

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was also in Ottawa, to speak at the annual conference of the Broadbent Institute, the policy think tank named for former NDP leader Ed Broadbent.

Singh asked Canadians to give his party an influential role in Parliament and not reward either the Conservatives or Liberals with a majority government where they hold all the power.

After lagging a distant third in the polls, Singh pivoted this week from insisting he is running to be prime minister to asking Canadians to give the NDP enough seats to ensure neither the Liberals or Conservatives wield all the power.

Poilievre is set to end the day with a rally in Windsor, Ont., in the evening.

— by Anja Karadeglija

Read more:

• Tariffs & Saskatchewan: What do Trump’s tariffs mean for you?
• Canada Votes 2025: Your trusted source for election coverage