Danielle Smith tells U.S. podcast she asked Trump administration to pause tariffs to bolster Conservatives

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she asked the Trump administration to pause its tariff actions until after the Canadian federal election in hopes of seeing a win by Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

The Premier made her comments in an interview with Breitbart News Saturday on March 8. They resurfaced on the weekend, with the official kickoff of the campaign on Sunday.

“Because of what we see as unjust and unfair tariffs, it’s actually caused an increase in support for the Liberals,” Ms. Smith told Breitbart News Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle.

“So that’s what I fear. The longer this dispute goes on, politicians posture, and it seems to be benefiting the Liberals right now. I would hope that we could put things on pause, is what I’ve told administration officials.”

Ms. Smith did not specify to whom in the administration she made her remarks, or what response she received.

Her comments drew criticism that she was issuing an invitation to meddle in the electoral process.

Naheed Nenshi, Leader of Alberta’s New Democrats, accused Ms. Smith of being happier to placate U.S. President Donald Trump than to work with Canadians.

“Calling for a pause on tariffs to politically benefit one party or another isn’t the right approach,” Mr. Nenshi said in a statement. “But standing firm for Canada is.”

Pierre Poilievre kicks off Conservative election campaign under shadow of Trump’s trade war

Sam Blackett, press secretary to Ms. Smith, said any suggestion that the Premier is asking the U.S. to interfere in Canada’s election is “offensive and false.”

Ms. Smith said in a statement that she has been working to convince U.S. officials at all levels of just how damaging the threatened tariffs would be to both Canadians and Americans. This has included asking those same officials to refrain from placing tariffs on Canadian goods until a proper renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement can be held after the election, with a Prime Minister who has won a mandate from Canadians, she said.

“Now that an election has been called, I would reiterate my hope that the U.S. would refrain from placing tariffs on their closest ally and largest trading partner during the middle of the election,” she said.

Mr. Poilievre did not directly answer a question from The Globe and Mail about the appropriateness of Ms. Smith’s comments. Instead, he said there is good reason why Mr. Trump said it would be easier to deal with Canada if the Liberals formed the next government: because Liberals have weakened the country.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney said it will be up to voters to decide whether they want a unified government standing up for Canada or one that wants “division and Americanism,” which he said is what Mr. Poilievre seems to be offering, and Ms. Smith is endorsing.

In another part of the interview, the Premier suggested that Mr. Poilievre’s policies would most closely align with Mr. Trump’s.

“Pierre believes in development. He believes in low-cost energy. He believes that we need to have low taxes, doesn’t believe in any of the woke stuff that we’ve seen taking over our politics for the last five years,” Ms. Smith said.

“There’s probably still always going to be areas that are skirmishes or disputes about particular industries when it comes to the border, but I would say, on balance, the perspective that Pierre would bring would be very much in sync with, I think, the new direction in America. I think we’d have a really great relationship for the period of time they’re both in.”