Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is formally demanding that Prime Minister Mark Carney release the complete details of the failed trade agreement between Canada and the United States, while calling for an immediate recall of Parliament.
The push from the official opposition follows Prime Minister Carney’s sudden decision to pull Canadian negotiators from Washington and walk away from high-stakes bilateral trade talks. Carney cited unfair and uneconomic last-minute demands from the U.S. administration, including restrictions on Canada's sovereign right to forge trade pacts with other nations and threats to cultural protections, as the driving factors behind the breakdown.
In a letter sent to the prime minister, Poilievre argued that Canadians deserve total transparency regarding what was offered, what was rejected, and how the federal government intends to manage escalating economic tensions.
"Canadians must see it to judge what options are on the table," Poilievre wrote, emphasizing that the collapse of a durable agreement alongside newly enacted 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods threatens deeper financial strain on households. The Conservative leader is pressing the government to answer how it will shield vital economic sectors—such as steel, aluminum, lumber, and auto manufacturing—and mitigate rising everyday costs like gas and groceries.
With new retaliatory counter-tariffs pledged by Ottawa to take effect next month, Poilievre is urging the prime minister to bring parliamentarians back to Ottawa ahead of schedule.
"In a crisis that defines the future of our people and our country, Conservatives are ready to return to Parliament, to act with the urgency our people demand, and to put Canada first," Poilievre stated, noting that the legislative branch must fulfill its fundamental duty to hold the executive branch accountable.