A federal Conservative leadership hopeful spoke out against a tariff on Canadian aluminum proposed by President Donald Trump.
Peter MacKay said if he was on the phone with the U.S. leader concerning the recent tariffs, he would stress the importance of the Canadian/US trade partnership.
“You say ‘look, Mr. President, this is an issue of trade between our countries, it’s going to help your economy as much as ours. You’re unfairly punishing Canadian industry, in a way that ultimately is going to harm the whole North American market.’”
MacKay added the president is simply using tough campaign rhetoric ahead of an election. He believes diplomacy is better done in a quiet way.
“It’s not done through tweets, it’s not done by making public declarations for domestic audience before you have those discussions, whether it’s trade, whether it’s issues of trying to unwind these disputes … it’s done at a very personal level,” says MacKay.
As for the WE Charity scandal, the Conservative hopeful is shaking his head in disbelief at the prime minister’s testimony.
As a former prosecutor, MacKay says claims by Justin Trudeau it was the civil service that said only the WE organization could deliver a billion contract to help youth, are impossible.
“We also know that Mr. Trudeau had to be aware of the details, and yet he still, after claiming to slow it down, sat at the cabinet table and approved that project,” adds MacKay.
