The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada has laid out a plan to protect Canadian workers amid tariff threats by the United States.
Using the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit landmarks as a backdrop, and surrounded by union members, Mark Carney stopped in Windsor on Wednesday morning to announce a plan to protect Canadian workers from the effects of tariffs.
While reflecting on the long relationship between the two countries and with a quarter of all Canada-U.S. trade using the bridge, Carney urged U.S. President Donald Trump to reconsider how tariffs will affect the American people.
"His trade war is hurting, and it will hurt more American consumers and workers," said Carney. "I see that consumer confidence is at a multi-year low today, and those American workers and consumers should be President Trump's concern."
CBS News reported on Tuesday that the Conference Board's latest estimates showed that its consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9, the fourth straight monthly decline and its lowest level since January 2021.
Carney pledged on Wednesday to use revenue from any reciprocal tariffs Canada places on U.S. goods to support Canadian industry, and if the Liberals form the next government, a $2-billion Strategy Response Fund will be set up to boost the Canadian auto industry.
He also pledged to use an all-in-Canada strategy to create automotive parts, leverage funding to encourage more auto production in Canada, and maximize Canada's steel and aluminum industries.
Carney said his top priority is to protect Canadian workers.
"His trade war also threatens to hurt hard-working Canadians, the people I care about, the people we care about," said Carney. "It threatens union workers like those behind me, those down the 401 at auto assembly plants in Ingersoll, and Oshawa, and Oakville. It threatens people in Hamilton working in the steel mills, and up in the Saguenay, at the aluminum smelters."
Carney was also scheduled to tour a Windsor factory before going to campaign stops in London and Kitchener on Wednesday.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre was scheduled to head to Quebec City on Wednesday. Jagmeet Singh of the NDP was due in Hamilton and London, and the Green Party's co-leader Jonathan Pedneault will campaign in Montreal.