Shelley Luce, Green Party of Canada candidate in the federal by-election for North Vancouver—Capilano, issued the following statement today on the Canadian government providing a $7.5 billion tariff relief package for Canadians and applying slide scale tariffs on $27.6 billion of US goods as a response to American tariffs.

“I fully support the government matching these unjust American tariffs, dollar-for-dollar. Canada’s political and economic sovereignty are paramount, and backing down would send the wrong message to Donald Trump.”

Luce also supports tariff relief for affected Canadian businesses and workers, but emphasized that the relief should go to small- and medium-sized businesses and workers, not giant corporations with vast resources. 

“I support the idea of a $7.5 billion tariff relief package, but the details matter,” said Luce, who holds a doctorate in environmental science and engineering. “The relief should go to small- and medium-sized businesses and working families.”

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands, who was campaigning with Luce in North Vancouver, agreed that substantially more assistance may be needed.

“We need to take the same sort of approach to provide immediate economic relief to individual Canadians and small businesses as we did during COVID,” said May. “This first $7.5 billion is positive, but Parliament unanimously approved $80 billion at the beginning of the pandemic. That level of aid may be needed again.”

May said providing that level of support would require the federal government to reconsider its spending priorities.

“That will require a rethink of $40 billion pipeline projects, as an example of setting our fiscal priorities. It is paramount that the government act to keep businesses and communities whole.”

May said the Prime Minister’s Office contacted her yesterday to arrange a phone call with the prime minister.

“Of course, all parliamentary opposition leaders want to be helpful in standing shoulder to shoulder with the prime minister,” said May. “That said, as Green Party leader, I will not hesitate to suggest that retaliatory tariffs, on their own, will not guarantee economic sovereignty.”

“In addition to retaliatory tariffs, we must stop the export of unprocessed Canadian resources. Exporting raw resources undermines jobs and Canadian productivity. It is time to stop acting as a raw resource colony for foreign multinationals and make sure raw logs reach B.C. mills. It is time to stop our national narrative as hewers of wood and drawers of water.”

Luce also called for all premiers, including Premier Danielle Smith, to fully join the Team Canada effort.

“While the rest of the premiers were standing with Team Canada, Danielle Smith said any disruption to Albertan oil and gas exports to the United States was off the table,” said Luce. “It seems like once again, the oil and gas lobby has more sway with the Premier of Alberta than the Canadians she represents.”

Luce emphasized that the best strategy for economic and political sovereignty was for Canada to stop subsidizing oil and gas projects that funnel profits to international investors, and instead build local renewable energy projects where the dollars stay in Canadian communities.

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