Westman MPs warn of tariff impacts

The most recent round of U.S. tariffs could have a significant impact on western Manitoba, the region’s federally elected officials are warning.

Conservative MPs Grant Jackson (Brandon-Souris) and Dan Mazier (Riding Mountain) say the fallout from the tariffs will cover a broad range of sectors — from families struggling with affordability to large manufacturers.

“My fear, locally, is that the Americans are going to be after jobs,” Jackson told the Sun at a community barbecue he hosted Wednesday, adding that many constituents are angry with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump’s new tariffs on $27.6 billion of Canadian goods came into effect after the trade deadline passed at midnight on Saturday.

Mazier said the tariffs could hit industries ranging from the Minnedosa Ethanol Plant to Podolski Honey Farms in Ethelbert to LP Building Solutions in Swan Valley.

Jackson said those impacts could have far-reaching consequences on communities.

“They’re good-paying jobs in small towns — sometimes, they’re the biggest employer in town,” Jackson said. “If we lose those, what do people do in small towns?”

He said he knew of companies in the region that are considering relocating to the U.S., but declined to identify any specific ones.

“That’s my fear, because it hurts our communities,” Jackson said.

In addition to industrial production, Mazier said the tariffs could increase costs for Prairie Mountain Health, since some medical equipment is included on the new list of tariffed products.

“Think about the rebuilding of the Dauphin hospital … When it comes to government procurement, how many of those products are coming from the U.S.?” Mazier said in a phone interview Wednesday.

“That is quite concerning as well.”

Jackson also identified other ways Westman communities could be affected by the trade war, such as social support programs.

“Food banks are struggling to keep up, and have enough capacity, as it is for the amount of people walking in the door asking for help,” Jackson said, citing recent conversations with the Samaritan House Ministries and Helping Hands soup kitchen in Brandon.

“If you all of a sudden have another situation of higher food prices at the grocery store, that demand’s going up. And are they going to get the increase in donations needed to support that demand? I don’t know, because people are strapped,” he said.

Both MPs said they are in the dark, just like other Canadians, regarding negotiation details, and the Conservative party is calling on the Liberal government to release that information.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has claimed that last-minute changes to the proposed trade deal were “unfair and uneconomic” to Canadians.

“What was the deal?” Mazier asked. “What was so bad that he could not say yes to you?”

He said transparency with the Liberals has gotten worse since the party achieved a majority government in the last election.

“If we were a government, we’d be transparent about it,” Mazier said.

“If they’re going to impose a tax on something and ask Canadians to pay it with your tax dollars, they should know the cost on it.”

Jackson also said he is “disappointed” that the government has not provided more information.

“I’m getting lots of questions from constituents about what was on the table, what wasn’t on the table, what the poison pills were and I don’t have any of those answers,” Jackson said.

“I wish I had better answers for my constituents who are asking me these questions.”

On Wednesday, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre addressed Carney in a letter requesting the government release the rejected agreement. On Sunday, Poilievre asked the government to “reconvene Parliament without delay.”

The next sitting day in Parliament is scheduled for Sept. 21.

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com