Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose is warning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t doing enough to insulate Canada from a Donald Trump presidency in the U.S.
She made the comment in a year-end interview with Global News just one day before a visit by U.S. vice-president Joe Biden and less than a month and a half before billionaire businessman Donald Trump takes the oath of office.
Ambrose said she is concerned Trump’s protectionist policies will sideswipe the Canadian economy.
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Ambrose worries Trudeau’s policies, like placing a price on carbon, will make Canada uncompetitive against a Trump-led United States.
“We know what happens when the U.S. lowers their tax rates. There’s a big sucking sound of really smart, good people leaving this country to go work in the United States,” said Ambrose, suggesting Trudeau should cuts taxes to keep Canadians from moving south.
Ambrose’s concerns aren’t new, but it is the first time the interim leader of the opposition is extending an olive branch to the Prime Minister.
She insisted it’s time for all hands on deck – especially if Trump follows through on his threat to re-negotiate trade deals in North America.
“We actually have the experience in our party. We have people that negotiated dozens of trade agreements,” the Conservative leader said.
“We have connections with Democrats, with Republicans because we’ve been in office for 10 years and a lot of his people are new at this.”
It’s unclear if the Liberals will take Ambrose up on her offer.
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Asked if it has been easy to collaborate with the self-described “Government of Sunny Ways,” Ambrose shrugged her shoulders saying: “Not really.”
As interim leader of the opposition, it’s Ambrose’s job to hold the Liberal government accountable.
Nevertheless, she did have some praise for the Prime Minister, especially when it comes the government’s work to end violence against women.
“The murdered and missing Aboriginal women’s inquiry is moving ahead,” noted Ambrose, ignoring the fact that the previous Conservative government refused to call such an inquiry.
“I’m concerned that it’s not moving ahead fast enough, I want to see more action on that, but I’m glad to see this move forward.”