Bill Kelly: Opposition pressure on tariff issue is political gamesmanship

Conservative and NDP members on the Standing Committee on International Trade have co-signed a letter demanding that prime minister appear before an emergency meeting of that committee to explain his strategy to end the Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Of course, it’s in the best interest of the Canadian economy and the local Hamilton economy to have the tariffs removed, but the opposition attempt at public shaming is nothing more than political grandstanding.

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Surely, they don’t expect the government to reveal its strategy in dealing with the megalomaniac in the White House, and start negotiating with Trump through the media.

Besides, if the opposition House of Commons members were paying attention, they’d see the government strategy unfolding in front of them.

The prime minister, the foreign affairs minister and numerous members of the Prime Minister’s Office are engaged in conversations with White House officials and Congressional leaders.

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The government also imposed reciprocal tariffs on American goods, which are said to be effective in those targeted areas of the U.S.

It has also launched a legal challenge to the tariffs in the U.S. court system and with the World Trade Organization, and it’s rumoured that the soon to be Democrat-dominated House of Representatives may challenge the legality of Trump’s petty tariff edict.

Of course, it’s frustrating that it’s taking so long to eliminate the tariffs, but self-serving political gamesmanship by the opposition does nothing to help the situation.

Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.