Singh says Poilievre doesn't want to upset Elon Musk with tariff response
NDP commits to cutting off critical minerals to U.S. if Trump proceeds with tariffs
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh accused Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Monday of taking a soft approach to Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods.
Singh speculated Poilievre's approach could be influenced by his endorsement from Elon Musk.
"[Poilievre's] plan is literally to do nothing … until an election," Singh said Monday, a week before Trump is inaugurated president of the United States.
Last week, Poilievre outlined his plan to deal with Trump's threat, which includes offering more energy to fuel the American tech industry, lowering taxes to spur investment in Canada and making the Canadian economy "more independent and less vulnerable to threats from abroad."
When asked why he hasn't more forcefully made the case against tariffs, Poilievre said he needs "the mandate to put our country first" from voters in an election.
Poilievre has previously vowed to make the case against tariffs directly to American union workers and business leaders if he becomes prime minister, and has said he would retaliate against Trump's protectionist trade measures "if necessary."
With a spring election on the horizon, the NDP is seeking to use Trump's impending presidency as a political wedge between itself and the Conservatives. As Singh accused Poilievre of lacking a plan for dealing with Trump, he pointed to the support the Conservative leader has from Elon Musk.
Musk, the world's richest man and owner of social media platform X, recently endorsed Poilievre, showering him with praise, reposting his tweets and applauding his speeches and media interactions.
Musk has close ties to Trump, having spent more than $200 million backing his successful campaign to return to the White House.
"Let's be clear: he is not interested in defending Canadian jobs because he doesn't want to upset Elon Musk," Singh said.
"He is a bootlicker for billionaires. That's who Pierre Poilievre is," he added.
Poilievre was asked on Thursday whether he accepts Musk's endorsement.
"It would be nice if we could convince Mr. Musk to open some of his factories here in Canada, create some high-paying jobs for our people," Poilievre responded.
In statement, Conservative Party deputy leader Melissa Lantsman defended Poilievre's "plan to stand up for Canadians and put Canada first." Lantsman also called the NDP's Monday news conference "incoherent."
"Jagmeet Singh has done nothing but support Justin Trudeau's weak leadership and fail to make any real proposals to protect our country, as demonstrated by his incoherent stunt today," the statement from Lantsman said.
On Monday, Singh also called on political parties to support restricting Canada's supply of critical minerals to the U.S.
"There's no quicker way to get Donald Trump to back away from tariffs than to shut off the tap on critical minerals which the states need clearly," Singh told reporters.
Critical minerals are integral to the American and global economy. They are necessary for smartphones, laptops, data centres, drones, satellites and electric vehicles.
Canada is among the top 10 producers of critical minerals like cobalt, graphite, nickel and zinc. It's the world's largest producer and exporter of potash, which is used in fertilizers. The country is also a minor player in the production of lithium and rare earth elements, but it holds a significant share of the global reserves of these minerals.
According to a spokesperson for the minister of natural resources, in 2023, minerals exports to the U.S. totalled $84 billion.
Canada supplies up to 71 per cent of the potash the American agriculture sector uses, up to 50 per cent of the refined zinc its steel industry uses and up to 26 per cent of U.S. total imports of niobium, used in the defence industry.
"Donald Trump only understands one thing, which is force," Singh said. "We have to show that if he is going to pick a fight with Canada, it is going to hurt Americans as well."
Singh said other exports, including oil and gas, should also be on the table but said they should not be part of Canada's opening move.
On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford outlined his province's plan to accelerate resource development, including mining for critical minerals. Ford told reporters he wanted to avoid cutting off critical minerals to the U.S. but did not rule it out.
"Make no mistake about it. If they are coming full tilt at us, I won't hesitate to pull out every tool I have until they can feel the pain. But that is the last thing I want to do," Ford said.
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With files from Peter Zimonjic and Darren Major