This morning at 10 am, the BC legislature will debate the following motion, introduced by Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Jennifer Blatherwick:

Be it resolved that this House condemns President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs as wrong and unjustified measures aimed at threatening Canadian sovereignty and endorses the nationally-coordinated “Team Canada” plan to respond with proportionate retaliatory action if necessary, including strategically targeting industries and regions such as products from Republican states, to maximize pressure to deter President Trump from implementing or continuing tariffs.

“With Donald Trump’s recent comments making it even clearer that tariffs are about making Canada the 51st state, now is an opportunity for every MLA to stand behind the Team Canada plan to fight these unjustified tariffs that would hurt British Columbians,” said Blatherwick. “This is about endorsing a unified Canadian approach to stand up for ourselves strategically where we know it will make an impact.”

“We all take the border seriously and support federal plans to strengthen surveillance, but this should never be used as a pretext to threaten Canada’s sovereignty,” said Blatherwick. “Regardless of what MLAs have said up to this point, today is an opportunity for us to stand together and show British Columbians that we won’t tolerate this direct attack on our country’s independence. I’m looking forward to this important debate.”

John Rustad has previously said “retaliatory tariffs will only invite more problems coming from the President.” He called the plan to strategically target Republican states “dangerous and irresponsible” and “cross-border political interference.”

His MLAs have said Trump is making “a simple neighbourly request,” claimed the BC NDP “brought the tariff threat upon us in the first place,” said “Eby needs to comply” with Trump, and “firing Bonnie Henry would be a safe and effective way for Eby to protect B.C.”