Day twelve, meaning we’re about a third of the way through, and so much of the day was all about the fallout of Wednesday’s tariff announcement. Mark Carney was in Ottawa where he had yet another virtual meeting with the premiers before meeting with the media. There, he said that the era of trade where America leads is over is over, that Trump’s actions will rupture the global economy as it has been since the end of World War II, and that while this is a tragedy, it’s the new reality. Canada’s response is a matching 25 percent tariff on vehicles from non-CUSMA-compliant vehicles coming from the United States, but not on auto parts, where the proceeds would go back to the auto workers. Carney will start the day in Montreal, before heading to Woodbridge, Ontario, and then Scarborough.

https://twitter.com/flaviovolpe1/status/1907890689330778611

Pierre Poilievre was in Kingston, where he promised to remove the GST on Canadian-made vehicles (which the NDP initially proposed), and a fund to help keep workers stay on the job in affected industries. It is also noteworthy that Poilievre distanced himself from Danielle Smith and Preston Manning’s crybaby separatism comments, saying that they need to unite the country. Poilievre will be Trois-Rivières, Quebec, today.

We're back to Poilievre just sanewashing Trump.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T17:03:07.441Z

https://bsky.app/profile/jrobson.bsky.social/post/3llwvxlkeo22j

Jagmeet Singh was in Ottawa to propose the creation of Victory Bonds to fund public infrastructure, in addition to reannouncing his previous protectionist plans. Singh will be in Montreal again today.

The NDP have a tense problem here.They haven't launched anything because they are not in government. They are proposing launching these bonds. There is a difference.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T13:43:56.546Z

In other campaign news, Carney said that legislation to protect Supply Management was unnecessary (which is true, but also because you can’t bind a future government so you’re just wasting everyone’s time). Poilievre insisted that their willingness to dump candidates (so far) shows that they’re different from the Liberals (which is a specious argument before the cut-off date).

Ukraine Dispatch

Hundreds of Ukrainian troops are allegedly holed up in a monastery as Russian troops try to drive them from Kursk region. President Zelenskyy visited the neighbouring Sumy region yesterday. Ukraine appears to have resolved some of its manpower challenges.

Good reads:

• Anita Anand says that she has reassurances from the auto makers that they intend to remain in Canada.
• Two of the leaders of the “convoy” occupation were found guilty on mischief charges, but have not yet been sentenced.
• A Federal Court judge overturned an IRB ruling that would have allowed an admitted hitman to go free while waiting on an asylum claim.
• There is an examination of the role Mark Carney’s father as the principle of an Indian Day School in the Northwest Territories, when Carney was born.
• There are a lot of upset Conservatives in Calgary after several had been organizing for nominations and selling memberships, only for the party to appoint candidates.
• First Nations leaders in BC are calling on the Conservatives to drop their candidate Aaron Gunn over residentials school denialism; the party says it’s not true.
• The NDP have stopped working with a content creator (who is also an OnlyFans model) because of comments she made regarding the Holocaust.
• David Eby says that anxiety remains over the softwood lumber tariffs.
• Vass Bednar wonders about the true intentions of the tech broligarchs in Canada who are becoming increasingly vocal about reforming government.
• Jared Wesley looks at Danielle Smith’s sore loser disengagement threats, and why that creates a challenge for Poilievre in the rest of Canada.
• Shannon Proudfoot remarks on the game-show-like qualities of Trump’s tariff day presentation in the White House Rose Garden.
• Justin Ling compares the parties’ housing policies (but does give the Conservatives way too much credit for Poilievre’s unworkable housing bill).
• Susan Delacourt notes that while Trump has given Carney a chance to be prime ministerial again, the other party leaders are trying to be dismissive of it.
• My column points out that Danielle Smith’s crybaby separatism in an attempt to manipulate the federal election is profoundly undemocratic.

Odds and ends:

I strongly and sharply disagree with @trevortombe.bsky.social here, who suggests we should jsut accept US actions, focus on our own growth, and take no retaliatory action.I guess Trevor thinks that no action we take would matter.I think that's strategically wrong.thehub.ca/2025/04/03/t…

— Kevin Milligan (@kevinmilligan.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T16:32:54.685Z

Why is 'capitulate' strategically wrong?1–we now have allies; we can co-ordinate2–capitulating to a bully on tariffs will lead to more lunch-money requests.3–we can retaliate in smart ways; pushing our fingers into their self-imposed wounds to cause great pain. I don't pre-suppose failure.

— Kevin Milligan (@kevinmilligan.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T16:34:51.425Z

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.