Liberal Party leader debates fiercely! Trump's tariffs become the focus, with clear differences in candidate positions
The debate between the Liberal Party's leadership candidates began as scheduled, and on Tuesday, during the Liberal Party leadership debate held in Montreal, US President Trump's tariff threat once again became the focus of discussion.
Just 24 hours ago, candidates Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould, and Frank Baylis had a French debate on the same stage, and this time it was an English debate where they first outlined their plans to respond to Trump's tariff threat.
Compared to Monday's French debate, the differences between the candidates in this debate were more pronounced. In Monday's debate, candidates rarely directly attacked, and many viewpoints were relatively consistent. However, in Tuesday's English debate, although they did not make direct attacks, they clearly showed different positions.
Trade War and Tariffs
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Mark Carney, who leads the polls, said Canada must adopt a "reciprocal tariff" policy.
He said, 'It will have the greatest impact on the United States while minimizing the impact on Canada.'.
The former Governor of the Bank of Canada stated that Canada must utilize its own resources and collaborate with like-minded countries to enhance its economic strength. He also pointed out that the United States has begun to feel the economic impact of Trump's policies, and Canada will further amplify this impact.
Carney added that Canada's provinces and territories need to unite and work together to promote national economic growth.
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Chrystia Freeland： Trump is the biggest threat facing Canada since World War II
Former Treasury Secretary Chrystia Freeland repeated her views from Monday's debate, calling Trump "the biggest threat Canada has faced since World War II" and stating that she is the most capable candidate to deal with Trump.
She pointed out that the United States relies on Canadian resources, and lobbying groups like the American Farm Bureau will soon pressure Trump over tariffs.
Freeland said, 'Their reaction and pain will ultimately make Trump back down, just like last time,' citing her experience during the Trump administration's implementation of tariffs.
Freeland also proposed to take "reciprocal retaliation" measures by imposing counter tariffs on Trump's allies, including dairy products in Wisconsin and orange juice industry in Florida. She also proposed imposing retaliatory tariffs on Elon Musk's Tesla company.
She said, 'If you hit us, we will retaliate.'.
Freeland added that she will collaborate with countries such as Mexico, Panama, and Denmark to form a united front and create a new world order where Canada becomes a leader and no longer places the United States in a dominant position.
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Karina Gould： Call on Canadians to reduce their dependence on the United States
Former House Leader Karina Gould believes that Canada must utilize the resources needed by the United States and calls on Canadians to reduce their dependence on the United States, such as not traveling to Florida and not buying Florida orange juice.
Gould said, "You can't bring a calculator to a knife fight. You must strike back hard and use the right tools, and that's exactly what I'm going to do as prime minister
She stated that if elected as Prime Minister, her first measure would be to convene all provinces and regions to jointly develop a plan to address Trump's tariffs.
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Frank Baylis： Trump won't stop unless we teach him a lesson
Former Congressman and Montreal businessman Frank Baylis said that his 40 years of experience in the business world have made him well versed in the mindset of "bullies" like Trump, and he claims to be able to deal with the "tariff blackmail" of the US president.
I can predict his actions and help Canada establish a defense system to prevent him from doing so, while launching a counterattack - this will be necessary, "Baylis said.
Baylis stated that he will withdraw the $1.3 billion border security aid provided by the Canadian government to the United States, which was originally intended to appease Trump's dissatisfaction with the border and fentanyl issues. He also stated that he will travel to Mexico to reach an agreement with President Claudia Sheinbaum to strengthen Canada's trade partnership.
Trump won't stop unless he realizes he can't do whatever he wants, "Baylis said.
The party leadership election has entered a critical stage
The debate on Tuesday was chaired by Hannah Thibodeau, a former CBC journalist and current Global Public Affairs. This is the last chance for candidates to directly face their opponents and may change the landscape of the election.
Recent polls show that if Carney is elected as party leader, the Liberal Party will receive significant support growth.
Starting from Wednesday, members of the Liberal Party will be able to vote in advance to elect the next party leader to replace Trudeau.
Housing Policy
Karina Gould proposed to develop an "industrial housing strategy", increase housing investment, and enhance incentives for first-time homebuyers (FTHBI).
Chrystia Freeland proposes to reduce taxes for first-time homebuyers and increase the deposit limit for the First Home Savings Account.
Frank Baylis emphasizes job creation, cost of living control, and increased support for social housing and first-time homebuyers.
Mark Carney plans to use technological means to double the speed of housing construction, while reducing developer fees, increasing revenue, and eliminating the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on first-time homebuyers. Canada currently lacks millions of housing units, "Carney said.
Carbon tax policy
Mark Carney plans to cancel the consumer carbon tax, believing that the policy is too "divisive" and that large corporations should bear more of the emission costs.
Chrystia Freeland also pledged to abolish the consumer carbon tax, stating that "democracy is listening to the voice of the people," and Canadians generally believe that this policy is not beneficial to them.
Frank Baylis believes that the carbon tax has not achieved the expected results, and he plans to adjust the policy by investing the tax revenue in Canadian companies and projects that can directly address climate change.
Karina Gould believes that the consumer carbon tax should not be abolished, but has promised not to raise the tax rate as planned on April 1st.
health care system
Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, and Karina Gould all believe that the government should relax work restrictions for healthcare professionals to make it easier for foreign doctors to practice in Canada.
Frank Baylis believes that Nurse Practitioners should be given greater authority, expanding the scope of pharmacists' services, and increasing investment in home care.
Financial Budget Management
Chrystia Freeland believes that Canada's current wave of patriotism should be utilized to create more employment and investment opportunities in order to build a stronger economy.
Frank Baylis promised to restore fiscal discipline, improve government efficiency, and build two new natural gas pipelines to reduce dependence on the US market.
Mark Carney emphasized the need to focus on the ultimate effectiveness of government projects, reduce waste, and improve investment returns.
Chrystia Freeland believes that investment in infrastructure should continue to enhance national productivity.
defense spending
Mark Carney stated that he will increase the defense budget as soon as possible.
Chrystia Freeland plans to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027.
Frank Baylis believes that it is difficult to achieve the 2% target in the short term, but military salaries should be increased and investment in defense technology should be increased.
Karina Gould promised to increase the defense budget, raise military salaries, and establish a "Procurement Czar" to optimize the military procurement process by 2027.
Liberal Party members are about to begin voting, and the final elected party leader will determine the party's future direction and how to respond to the upcoming federal elections.
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https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/02/25/liberal-leadership-candidates-to-face-off-in-final-debate-in-montreal/