Alberta Premier’s request for U.S. to “pause” trade actions during Canadian election draws fierce backlash
(Source: Alberta Politics) OTTAWA—Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is facing accusations of foreign election interference after revealing in a March 8 Breitbart News interview that she urged Trump administration officials to hold off on aggressive trade measures against Canada until after the federal election—a move critics say was meant to boost Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s chances.
The explosive admission resurfaced just as Prime Minister Mark Carney called a snap election for April 28, thrusting Smith’s remarks into the center of Canada’s political firestorm. With polls showing a tightening race between Carney’s Liberals and Poilievre’s Conservatives, opposition leaders and political analysts are questioning whether Smith crossed a line by engaging with U.S. officials on an issue that could sway voters.
“Put Things on Pause”
In the interview with Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle, Smith expressed concern that President Donald Trump’s recent tariff threats—including punitive trade measures and even suggestions of annexing Canadian resources—were inadvertently helping the Liberals by rallying nationalist sentiment.
“Because of what we see as unjust and unfair tariffs, it’s actually caused an increase in support for the Liberals,” Smith said. “So I would hope that we could put things on pause—that’s what I’ve told administration officials. Let’s just put things on pause so we can get through an election.”
She added that a Poilievre-led government would be “more in sync” with Trump’s agenda, framing the pause as mutually beneficial.
“Witting Participant” in Foreign Interference?
The comments have drawn comparisons to last year’s bombshell report from Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), which warned that some politicians were “‘semi-witting or witting’ participants” in foreign interference efforts. While that report focused on China and India, Smith’s remarks have raised similar concerns about U.S. influence.
“The premier should be investigated for conspiring with a foreign government to influence the federal election,” said former Liberal deputy prime minister Sheila Copps.
Smith’s office dismissed the allegations as “offensive and false,” insisting she was merely advocating for Alberta’s economic interests. But legal experts note that even informal lobbying of a foreign power to alter its policies during an election could violate democratic norms.
Poilievre Sidesteps, Carney Pounces
Poilievre, who has tried to distance himself from Trump’s more extreme rhetoric, avoided directly addressing Smith’s comments at his campaign launch. Instead, he reiterated that “the Liberals have weakened our country”—a nod to Trump’s own claim that dealing with Liberal leaders is easier because they’re “more compliant.”
Carney, meanwhile, seized on the controversy, framing the election as a choice between “unity and division.”
“I take note of [Smith’s] alignment of Mr. Poilievre with Mr. Trump,” Carney said. “Canadians will have to decide whether they want American-style polarization or a government that stands up for Canada.”
Trump’s Shadow Over the Campaign
The uproar underscores how deeply Trump’s policies—and threats—have shaken Canadian politics. His planned April 2 rollout of “reciprocal tariffs” against Canada has made trade and sovereignty the top issues for voters. Smith’s intervention, whether strategic or offhand, has now entangled Poilievre in a debate over foreign allegiances—one that could define the final weeks of a razor-tight race.
—Sources from Alberta Politics and National Post
