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OTTAWA \u2014 Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he\u2019s willing to work with the Liberals in Parliament on efforts to resolve the trade war with the United States.<\/p>\n
Poilievre met with the Conservative caucus on Sunday as they prepare to return to the House of Commons without him in the chamber.<\/p>\n
His nearly 15-minute opening address to the party\u2019s MPs was open to media and laid out the Conservatives\u2019 priorities in the House of Commons for the spring session set to begin Monday.<\/p>\n
Poilievre said he\u2019s told Prime Minister Mark Carney that Conservatives are ready to work with Liberals to bring an end to tariffs imposed by the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve already told the prime minister that we are happy to cooperate any way we can to bring about an end to this unnecessary dispute and restore, not just our sovereignty, but also tariff-free access to the most successful international trading arrangement in the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Poilievre went on to accuse Carney of putting his \u201celbows down\u201d when it came to opening up exemptions for some counter-tariffs levied against the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the prime minister\u2019s double speak, we will work, as I said, to help him try and get a trade deal to put an end to the tariffs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we also need to focus on making our own economy more independent and self-reliant so that we\u2019re no longer vulnerable to such international surprises.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cooperation on any front would mark a departure from the Conservatives\u2019 relationship with the previous Liberal government led by former prime minister Justin Trudeau.<\/p>\n
The Conservatives regularly attempted to stymie the Liberal government\u2019s agenda through filibusters and non-confidence votes in the previous session of Parliament.<\/p>\n
The collaborative tone did not permeate Poilievre\u2019s entire speech.<\/p>\n
He criticized the Liberals\u2019 plans not to table a spring budget, for instance, and said the government needs to trim expenses and cut taxes to alleviate the burden from taxpayers and Canadians.<\/p>\n
Carney has announced plans to quickly deliver on an income tax cut pledged during the election campaign once Parliament resumes.<\/p>\n
Quebec Conservative MP G\u00e9rard Deltell was asked on the way into caucus on Sunday if the Conservatives would support the tax cut in the House of Commons, given the measure is similar to a promise made by Poilievre during the campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not opposed to any reduction of tax,\u201d Deltell said, but he added the Conservatives will want to see more on the legislation before announcing any support.<\/p>\n
Poilievre said Conservatives\u2019 priorities for the spring session will be focused on affordability and homebuilding, cracking down on crime, fixing immigration and boosting Canadian resource development as a path to economic security.<\/p>\n
He said the Conservatives owe it to Canadians who supported them in the last election to fight for change in the legislature.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey voted for hope, for a change,\u201d Poilievre said. \u201cAnd while we narrowly missed forming government, we now have every duty to fulfill that hope and fight for that change.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Conservatives won 144 seats in the April 28 election but Poilievre\u2019s seat was not one of them.<\/p>\n
Conservative Damien Kurek plans to temporarily give up his seat in Alberta to allow Poilievre to run there in a byelection.<\/p>\n
In the meantime former party leader Andrew Scheer will serve as the leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons and Poilievre has appointed 73 people as critics on specific files.<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n