Oct 14, 2026
Pierre Poilievre isn’t our prime minister, but on Oct. 13 he made a pitch to American TV viewers that sounded a lot like one.
Speaking on CNN during a stop in Detroit, the Conservative leader — who lost his Ottawa-area seat in the 2025 federal election before returning to the House of Commons through an Alberta by-election — argued the trade war is hurting both countries while overseas rivals get stronger.
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The timing isn’t an accident. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to double the tariff on Canadian-built vehicles on Jan. 1. That would ripple through paycheques in Ontario’s auto belt and through the broader economy.
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Whether you see the trip as savvy diplomacy or political theatre, the bigger question for your budget is what happens over the next 11 weeks. It also matters how you prepare and manage, whichever way it goes.
What did Poilievre actually tell Americans?
On CNN, Poilievre acknowledged that both Canada and the U.S. have long-standing complaints, and he said he would rather focus on “what we can do together”. He also blamed the trade war for falling auto production on both sides of the border. He has planned meetings with representatives of a General Motors plant in Detroit, Ford officials in nearby Dearborn, Mich., and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
So is it fair to say he’s going rogue by advocating for Canada on American TV? Poilievre leads the Official Opposition and has no role in formal talks. Prime Minister Mark Carney called off negotiations in August, accusing the U.S. government of unreasonable demands. White House trade advisor Peter Navarro recently warned that Canada would pay a price for meddling in the Nov. 3 U.S. midterms. Poilievre rejected that characterization, saying the trip is about tariff-free trade in both directions.
On an earlier swing in September through New York, he told U.S. media he would not attack Carney on foreign soil.
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Why would a 50% auto tariff hit Canadians so hard?
The auto sector leans heavily on a single customer. According to the Government of Canada, more than 90% of Canadian-made vehicles and 60% of parts are exported to the U.S. That puts 125,000 direct jobs at stake, and the wider auto sector supports more than 500,000 workers.
Canadian autos already face a 25% U.S. tariff, and Trump has threatened to raise it to 50% on Jan. 1 in response to Canada’s counter-tariffs. The Canadian economy is already shaky. According to StatCan, Canada lost a net 68,300 jobs in September, including 12,700 in manufacturing.
Will a 50% U.S. tariff raise car prices here?
Not directly. The U.S. tariff applies to Canadian vehicles heading south, not to what you will pay at a Canadian dealership. What matters most at home is that Ottawa has said it will keep its own counter-tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles.
So far, sticker prices aren’t the pain point. In July, vehicle purchases were among the items pulling inflation down. The bigger strain is fuel. In August, transportation costs were up 7.5% and gasoline was up 22.8% from a year earlier, against overall inflation of 3.0%.
For most households, the risk sits in jobs and the broader economy, not the price of a new SUV.
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Would Poilievre’s auto plan save you money?
Possibly, but the plan is a proposal, not law. His Tariff-Free Auto Pact would remove the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Canadian-made vehicles. The plan would also let automakers sell one vehicle in Canada, duty-free, from a CUSMA partner for every one they build here. The goal is to restore production to 2 million vehicles a year within a decade, up from 1.2 million in 2025.
On a $45,000 Canadian-built vehicle, removing the 5% GST would save about $2,250. That saving will exist only if the plan is ever adopted. Unifor, the union representing more than 40,000 auto workers, has raised concerns and questions about the plan.
What to do now
If your income depends on the auto sector
The auto sector includes assembly, parts suppliers, trucking and the businesses that serve them. If your paycheque comes from any of those industries, treat Jan. 1 as a planning date:
- Build a cash cushion that covers several months of essential costs
- Pause any big discretionary purchases until the tariff picture is clearer
- Confirm your Employment Insurance (EI) eligibility and your employer’s layoff policies now, not later
If you’re shopping for a vehicle
- Don’t rush a purchase based on the headlines, since prices have recently eased
- Check where a vehicle was assembled, because U.S.-built models may carry counter-tariff costs (a VIN starting with “2” means it was built in Canada)
- Don’t delay needed purchases waiting for a GST cut that isn’t on the books
Can Poilievre speak for Canada in the U.S.?
The pitch that sounded prime ministerial on CNN comes from a leader Canadian voters passed on in the last election. For some Canadians, that recent history makes him an awkward stand-in for the country on U.S. airwaves. For others, he’s an opposition leader doing what he can from the sidelines.
So how far can or should an opposition leader’s voice carry south of the border? Going rogue has its limits. Poilievre can’t negotiate or sign a trade agreement. That power rests with the federal government. What he can do is make the case that the trade war is hurting workers on both sides of the border, and he’s not the only one making it in Michigan.
The dispute has become a flashpoint in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, where Republican candidate Mike Rogers, once a supporter of Trump’s tariffs, is now calling for the fight with Canada to end.
None of that guarantees relief before the higher tariff is set to take effect on Jan. 1, so build your budget around it for now. Poilievre is betting Americans will eventually accept the case he made in New York: that both countries can be “safer, richer and more affordable if we trade freely.”
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Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
