MP Caputo, TRU’s Hanlon talk ongoing tariff trade war, strengthening domestic production

“It’s a different United States than it was a year ago, than it was ten years ago,” notes Hanlon, “and we’re going to have to start to adapt to this new type of American isolationism and economic nationalism.”

Hanlon says ideally, the stateside threat should galvanize more of a non-partisan approach from elected federal officials.

“You know, we’ve had a trade war inflicted on us and that’s going to require a different type of strategy of our leaders working together instead of calling each other out and saying they’re not doing enough on social media, and instead, finding news ways to sit in the room and really think through this smartly,” he says.

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Conservative MP Frank Caputo is in agreement with the move to match tariffs dollar for dollar. However, there is some disagreement around how the country should be weathering the expected economic storm.

“The money that is collected from tariffs should wholly, or almost wholly, go back to Canadians — particularly (those) most impacted by this economic attack from the United States,” Caputo told CFJC Today.

There’s also a desire from the opposition to return to parliament.

“We’re all in this together and we do need to put Canada first,” adds Caputo. “I believe that we have a lot of ideas as the Conservative Party as to how we should do this, such as lowering taxes, getting energy flowing, building homes. Those things don’t depend on the United States. We have the resources to do all of those things at home and those are the things that we should start doing today.”

Regardless of how the tariff threat evolves, it has spurred a louder conversation around strengthening Canada’s resource market and domestic manufacturing.

“Even if Trump administration tariffs ended today, we’ve seen the cards of the United States and what they’re holding, what they’re looking for,” said Hanlon. “Eventually, that means coming for Canada’s resources, threatening Canada, whether it’s this president or another one. We’re extremely vulnerable and we have to find smart ways to protect ourselves economically and culturally.”

by Dylana Kneeshaw

MP Caputo, TRU’s Hanlon talk ongoing tariff trade war, strengthening domestic production

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