Houston says Trump sowing 'uncertainty and chaos' as N.S. claps back over tariffs
U.S. president 'wields his power just for the sake of it,' says Premier Tim Houston
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced Tuesday his province's immediate response to U.S. President Donald Trump instituting 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods, vowing to break down interprovincial trade barriers in the face of a "short-sighted man."
Donning a Nova Scotia tartan scarf at a news conference in Toronto, where he was attending a mining conference, Houston firmly placed the blame for the current trade war on the president.
"This is about one person: President Trump," said Houston, moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford outlined his province's response plans.
"Donald Trump is a short-sighted man who wields his power just for the sake of it, not having any consideration for the destructive impact of his decision on Canadians and on Americans as well."
Houston said American businesses will no longer be able to bid on provincial procurements, effective immediately. The province is also seeking to cancel existing contracts and reject bids outright.
He said the province will double the cost of tolls at the Cobequid Pass for commercial vehicles from the United States, effective immediately.
According to the Cobequid Pass website, tolls range from $6 to $24 for trucks and tractor-trailers.
As well, Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. will remove all alcohol from the United States from its shelves.
Houston also reiterated that $200 million has been set aside in the 2025-26 provincial budget to help respond to the tariffs, but it's too early to say what specific funding is necessary.
He said the province will wait to see what kind of support the federal government provides before proceeding, noting that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned possible changes to the employment insurance program during his address to the country Tuesday.
Houston said industries in Nova Scotia that will feel the tariffs include seafood, lumber, tires, metal, gypsum and aggregates.
"It is impossible to properly describe the uncertainty and chaos that President Trump's threat of tariffs, and now actually imposing tariffs, has caused for Canadians," said Houston in a statement earlier Tuesday.
Contracts being reviewed
Cabinet ministers on Tuesday said all contracts would be reviewed, but in some cases alternatives might not be possible.
Health Minister Michelle Thompson said service to patients is the top priority for her department.
Two years ago, the government signed a $365-million deal with Oracle Cerner Canada to develop an electronic patient record system. The company's parent is based in the U.S.
There is also a $40-million deal signed last September with Google Cloud to provide search capacity and artificial intelligence for health information services and a partnership with Varian Medical Systems for cancer therapies in the province. The minister noted that Varian has a long-standing presence in the province and its parent is based in Europe.
Thompson said consideration will be given for Canadian or European alternatives, but there will be instances where that is not possible.
"We are going to look at those contracts throughout [the department] but we will prioritize the health of Nova Scotians to make sure there's no interruption in the care they are receiving," she told reporters at Province House.
Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said his department has one outstanding contract with an American firm that provides software to manage highway construction tenders.
The deal with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is worth about $6.2 million a year and Tilley said there aren't really alternatives right now for the province to consider.
"We've been using this product for almost 15 years, so it's pretty standard in the industry," he told reporters.
Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said his party supports measures taken by Houston.
"We support the contingency fund and will be advocating for those supports to be targeted to ensure stability for workers, their families, and the businesses that drive our communities," said Mombourquette in a statement.
Houston also noted the PCs have introduced legislation designed to break down barriers to interprovincial trade. He called on his provincial and territorial counterparts to follow suit.
"We must be open for business across Canada," he said.
The premier thanked Nova Scotians who have already responded to the threat of tariffs by choosing to buy local when possible.
"These choices and actions are significant. It is important that we stand together, united and strong," he said in the statement.
"Unfortunately, some people need to touch the hot stove to learn, and while we cannot control or predict their behaviour, we can control how we respond."
'Together as one province'
In a statement, Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender encouraged the PCs to communicate what their plan is to protect the province's traditional industries "so people can rest a little easier at night."
"We have seen the people of this province pull together to support local producers and local small businesses because that's who we are," she said.
"We come together as one province and take care of each other when times are hard."
In recent weeks, the premier has also talked about the need for more resource extraction as a means to bolster and diversify Nova Scotia's economy.
A tariff is a tax that one country places on another country's goods. In this case, the United States has put an extra tax on Canadian products coming into the country, which are called imports.
Trump said Monday that his long-threatened trade war would go ahead with 25 per cent levies on most Canadian goods and that they would take effect as of midnight Tuesday.
Trudeau addressed the country from Ottawa on Tuesday, announcing that Canada has already slapped tariffs on an initial tranche of $30 billion worth of American goods and promised $125 billion more will face levies in 21 days.
Trudeau had pointed remarks for Trump, telling the U.S. president that the two neighbouring countries — longtime friends and partners — should be working together.
"It's not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you're a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do," said Trudeau.
"We two friends fighting is exactly what our opponents around the world want to see."
Trudeau was set to meet virtually with provincial and territorial premiers on Tuesday.
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with files from Michael Gorman
