With two Tri-City MPs waiting outside, the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party made an election stop at a Coquitlam business today, March 27, to talk tough.
Pierre Poilievre surrounded himself with unionized workers at Apollo Sheet Metal, as well as a diverse group of supporters and three area Tory candidates, to outline his plans should he be voted in as prime minister on April 28.
First, Poilievre took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on Canadian goods and threatening to annex Canada, calling it the “51st state.”
Then, he focused on the newly sworn-in Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney for moving his assets off-shore and failing to disclose his investments publicly.
And, after criticizing the two politicians and their parties’ economic policies, he touted a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) top-up that he says will “bring home investment” to put Canada first. Under the proposal, Poilievre said a Conservative government will “reward patriotic Canadians” who invest in Canada by increasing the TFSA limit by an extra $5,000 a year.
Still, the election plank was overshadowed by Poilievre’s rhetoric about Trump and Carney — both of whom he claims are threats to the Canadian way of life.
“My message to President Trump is, ‘Knock it off,’” Poilievre said. “Stop attacking America’s friends. Start trading so that we can once again become richer, stronger and more secure on both sides of the border.”
He added, “We will never be the 51st state but we can, once again, be friends with the United States if the president reverses course on these disastrous tariff threats.”
Poilievre warned if Trump continues to go further with tariffs, Canada will suffer in the short term, “but we will fight back and we will build back. Within four years of a new, strong Conservative government, Canada will be completely rebuilt” by not being economically reliant on the U.S. anymore, he said.
“The world needs our resources and our expertise. If you, Mr. Trump, don’t want them then the rest of the world does.”
On Carney, he questioned if Canadians want a fourth Liberal mandate and a leader who moves money outside of the country to “avoid paying tax.”
“Carney claims that it’s just because he knows how the world works. What he knows is how to work the world’s system against our people here in Canada. To Carney, taxes are something that the little people have to worry about while globalist elites like him can always escape the bill.”
Asked by the Tri-City News about municipal pressures to pay for new infrastructure as a result of growth imposed by the B.C. government under new housing rules, Poilievre commented on the amount of red tape to get projects done.
“Right now, municipalities are swimming in bureaucracy to get major projects approved,” he responded. “I will incentivize municipalities to speed up permits, free up land and cut development charges to build 15 per cent more per year and, if they do, their federal infrastructure allotment will go up. So the more homes they build, the more federal transfers they will get.”
Outside, NDP MPs Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody–Coquitlam) and Peter Julian (New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville) were at the gate to greet Poilievre as he exited.
Video produced by Alanna Kelly
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