OTTAWA—The United States is no longer an ally and President Donald Trump is a “fascist” who should be banned from entering Canada for the G7 leaders’ meeting in June, according to Canada’s New Democratic and Green parties.
Their comments escalate the anti-Trump rhetoric at a critical time for the Canadian economy as the U.S. continues to threaten tariffs on Canadian and global products, and on a day when Trump’s administration appeared to signal that Canada’s tightening of border security could mean that an initial punishing round of 25 per cent surcharges, set to take effect March 4 against Canada, could be postponed.
According to media reports, Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday Canada and Mexico may be able to persuade Trump they’ve made border changes that warrant holding off on threatened tariffs (that included a 10 per cent duty on oil and gas) that were delayed until next week, despite Trump musing three days ago that he is on track to go ahead as scheduled.
For the NDP and the Greens, Canada must nevertheless confront Trump.
In a formal speech Wednesday to the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in English and in French, asked “What do you call a guy who threatens his allies including with the use of military force, spreads disinformation, proclaims he is above the law, and fires anyone who won’t do what he says — even those in law enforcement and the military?”
Singh, leader of the fourth place party in Parliament, previously called Trump a bully who should be met with a show of strength by Canada, but he went much further Wednesday.
Trump, said Singh, has cozied up with “actual dictators like Vladimir Putin, while calling our ally President Zelenskyy a dictator,” and shaken up the world order. He went on to list several actions and threats by Trump that he said endanger the rules-based order, the chances for a just peace in Ukraine, and Canada’s sovereignty.
“We need to ban Trump from coming to the G7 in Canada,” said Singh. “Trump should not be welcome here.”
“Why would we invite someone who threatens our sovereignty and economic well-being? Why would we invite someone who threatens the economic well-being of allies and threatens the world’s stability? Why would we allow a convicted criminal into our country?”
Singh said that Canada’s turn as host of the G7 “should be a summit on how the world can work together to resist Donald Trump.”
Jonathan Pedneault and Elizabeth May, co-leaders of the Green Party (which has two MP, not enough for official party status in the Commons) earlier Wednesday also presented a scathing critique of Trump, saying that ”The rise of fascism within the United States under Donald Trump is a grave danger, not only to Americans but to all who hold democratic values dear.”
They too call on Canada to bar Trump and all U.S. officials from the G7, scheduled to be held in Kananaskis, AB in June.
The Greens released a series of proposed measures to “protect Canada” including the creation of an “economic NATO” of like-minded nations “to counter any encroachment on sovereignty, a diplomatic offensive to heighten Canada’s profile abroad, and strengthening economic, legal and defence policies to staunchly safeguard Canada’s jobs, industries, resources, media, borders and infrastructure from US interventionism.”
