United States President-elect Donald Trump is expected to include Canada when he announces an extensive round of import tariffs on various countries next week.
Trump has targeted both enemies (China) and allies (Canada and Mexico) with threats of 25 per cent tariffs on imported products. He said Canada has to do more to strengthen its military commitment and tighten border security between the two nations.
Canadian Armed Forces Retired General Rick Hillier was the keynote speaker at the Saskatchewan Crops Conference in Saskatoon on Tuesday. General Hillier was the Chief of Defense Staff between 2005 and 2008, when Canada played a key role providing troops in Afghanistan.
General Hillier spoke about the importance of leadership—and the need to improve Canada’s standing in the international community, as well as dealing with the threat of potential tariffs on Canadian goods and products by the United States.
General Hillier says Canada needs strong leadership and he worries about the vacuum currently in place until the Liberals select a new leader and Parliament resumes on March 24th.
He said the federal government needs to build the military and restore Canada’s reputation with other NATO members
General Hillier is very worried about the damage a lengthy period of high US tariffs would cause on our national economy. He says Canada needs to provide a united front and gives credit to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for engaging with American politicians and media about our country’s importance to the United States
