Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says tariffs are coming and that its time to prepare - which has led to discussions in Saskatchewan over next steps.
Premier Smith came to her conclusion after meeting with incoming President Donald Trump over the weekend.
“We do need to be preparing ourselves for the fact that they are likely to come in on January 20th,” she explained.
Smith’s visit to Mar-a-Lago was arranged by Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary. The Premier’s pitch to Trump was that Alberta oil should be exempted from tariffs for the benefit of both Canada and the U.S.
Premier Scott Moe reiterated his call for an immediate federal election in a statement to CTV News.
“I reiterate my call for an immediate election so that Canadians have a government that has a mandate to deal with threats on our economy,” it read.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck is considering a trip to Washington to lobby Republican lawmakers.
“I think we are exploring all options at this point,” she explained. “Again, this is about using all of the resources that we have, all the connections that we have to see a favourable outcome.”
Provincial leaders will meet this week to discuss next steps if tariffs proceed.
Those steps may include a trade mission to Washington. Alberta’s Danielle Smith intends to attend the upcoming Trump inauguration – while Scott Moe does not.
