Poilievre repudiates Trump’s 51st state threats, pitches new policies at ‘Canada First’ rally

Conservative leader says Canada ‘will bear any burden’ to protect sovereignty.
By: Benjamin Lopez Steven ·
Surrounded by hundreds of supporters wearing red and white, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre firmly repudiated U.S. President Donald Trump’s 51st state threats and said Canada “will bear any burden” to protect its sovereignty during a rally in Ottawa.
“Sometimes it does take a threat to remind us what we have, what we could lose and what we could become. The unjustified threats of tariffs and 51st statehood of Donald Trump have united our people to defend the country we love,” Poilievre said.
The Conservative leader’s “Canada First” rally took place on Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre, steps away from Parliament Hill. The event also happened on the 60th anniversary of Canada adopting the red-and-white maple leaf flag. In the background, Trump’s threat of sweeping tariffs and continual talk of annexation have shifted Canadians’ focus in recent weeks, polling shows, with the Conservatives’ long-held double-digit lead narrowing.
Poilievre said Canada has leverage it can use against the United States, such as critical minerals and uranium. He also laid out his tariff response plan that includes dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going toward reimbursing businesses and workers affected by American tariffs on Canadian goods.
“Not one penny will go to government spending,” Poilievre vowed.
The Conservative leader also delivered a sharp message to the U.S. if it proceeds with tariffs: “You will turn a loyal friend into a resentful neighbour, forced to match tariff-for-tariff and to seek friends everywhere else.” ”Both our economies will weaken, leaving less money for defence and security, and our enemies will grow stronger,” Poilievre said.
Later in his speech, he said Canadians “are slow to anger and quick to forgive, but never confuse our kindness with weakness.”
“We will bear any burden and pay any price to protect the sovereignty and independence of our country.” Source:cbc.ca/news/politics