Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
ditor’s note: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the premiers before speaking live to Canadian media on Canada’s response. Various premiers have posted their own responses to the 25 per cent tariffs US President Donald Trump announced on all Canadian products except energy, which will be tariffed at a rate of 10 per cent.
Here is British Columbia Premier David Eby’s response, verbatim, as posted on YouTube, as seen above:
Thank you For the opportunity to speak directly to you, my fellow British Columbians, about Donald Trump’s unjustified tariffs on Canada. This is an attack on our country and on British Columbia families that will not go unanswered. We won’t back down or be pushed into becoming the 51st American state. Canada is a proud and independent nation. We’re proud of how we take care of each other and our neighbors. Just as BC firefighters have been helping the people of Los Angeles battle fierce fire wildfires, we’re fortunate to live in the best province, the best country in the world, and when our sovereignty is challenged, we have two choices to surrender or to stand up. Today we make the only possible choice: to stand up for British Columbians and all Canadians, to defend our workers, our businesses and our communities.
Times like this call for a plan of action that is both thoughtful and tough. Our strategy consists of three main components, to respond firmly and forcefully, to strengthen our economy at home and to diversify our trading relationships in Canada and around the world.
Canadians and Americans have always been friends and good neighbors, in many cases, we’re family. We share the longest undefended border in the world. We’ve been partners in the fight for democracy, from storming the beaches at Normandy side-by-side liberating Europe from fascism in the Second World War, to helping Ukrainians defend themselves from Putin’s illegal invasion and war of aggression today. Throughout our history, British Columbians have had a unique bond with American leaders. In 1923 a huge crowd turned up in Stanley Park to greet President Harding, the first to ever visit Canada. In 1964 President Johnson came to Vancouver to sign the Columbia River Treaty when Canada and the United States agreed to work together on flood prevention and electricity generation. In one of his last acts as governor of Washington State, Governor Jay Inslee travel to Langford to pay respects to our dearly departed friend, Premier John Morgan.
President Trump’s crushing 25% tariffs are a complete betrayal of the historic bond between our countries. It is a declaration of economic war against a trusted ally and friend. I understand President Trump is concerned about fentanyl in the United States, but we’re concerned about, fentanyl, too. It’s taken too many lives here in BC and made people and communities less safe. We welcome US support stopping the flow of fentanyl, drug precursors and organized crime, from China and Mexico. We all need to work together on this global problem. This isn’t the way to do it.
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As British Columbians, and as Canadians, we will stand strong and united in the face of this unprecedented attack. This is not a fight we started, but we will respond firmly and forcefully. Here in BC, we support a strong Team Canada approach to stand up to Donald Trump.
For our first of many steps, effective today, I have directed BC Liquor Sales to immediately stop buying American liquor from red states. Liquor Store employees will be removing the most popular of these brands from government store shelves. I’ve directed government and our Crown corporations like BC hydro ICBC and health authorities to immediately stop buying American goods and services and by Canadian.
And finally, we have communicated our full support to the federal government for comprehensive, targeted set national tariffs against American products. We call on them to act with urgency. The Americans are bigger, but if we don’t stand up for ourselves, just keep coming back for more.
After response, the second pillar in our strategy is to strengthen our economy here and make our province more self-sufficient. Yesterday, the province’s leaders, business, labor and First Nations met as our provincial Task Force on economic, security and trade. We are united, and clear-eyed in our goal to diversify, grow our economy and deliver a unified response. We will come out of this stronger.
We won’t leave our prosperity to the winds of unpredictable forces from beyond our borders. That starts with leveraging our incredible natural strengths. To that end, we have identified 10 major projects to expedite right away, including mines, renewable energy and natural gas. That is $20 billion investment to create over 6000 jobs and support people in northern and rural communities. We’re accelerating permit approvals on critical mining and low carbon energy projects. Creating good paying jobs is crucial to protecting the services like health care and education that we rely on every day, making sure British Columbians can thrive no matter what the world throws at us.
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Finally, we are diversifying our trading relationships. We’re expanding trading partnerships with countries in Asia, Europe and beyond. We already have new trade missions planned to strengthen relationships across the world. At the same time, we’re working together with governments across the country to knock down trade barriers within Canada and make sure all provinces are buying Canadian first. We will never again allow ourselves to be beholden to the whims of one person in the White House.
Now I know many of you at home are worried right now, about your job, your business, about your family. And make no mistake, these tariffs do threaten workers, businesses and whole industries, not just your home, but on the other side of the border as well. In 1930 the US Congress passed a punishing tariff law, loyal trading partners, including Canada, retaliated. American imports and exports dropped by two thirds. When the law first passed, unemployment in the US was at 8% two years later, three times as many Americans were out of work, turning a depression into the Great Depression. Today’s trade war threatens to be just as devastating south of the border, Canada and BC in particular, has what the US needs. For example, a 25% tariff on Canadian mineral exports will cost American companies over $11 billion increasing costs for the US defense industry, energy production, and manufacturing, running directly counter to President Trump stated gold golden age for Americans.
Today, we’re at a crossroad, and the journey ahead won’t be easy, but there is no place on earth I would rather be to face this threat, than right here in British Columbia. We have everything we need to succeed: abundant, natural wealth and clean cheap energy, a diversified economy and access to global markets. And our most important resource of all, you, the people who call this beautiful place home, British Columbians are hard working, highly skilled and resilient. Through this uncertainty, our Government will be there to stand up for you and your family. As proud British Columbians and Canadians, we will meet this moment together and come out stronger on the other side. Together, we’ll fight, not fold. Be resolute, not roll over. Because that’s just who we are here in the true north, strong and free.
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