EI relief coming soon if U.S. tariffs stay in place, says Charlottetown MP

Thinh Nguyen · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 10:27 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Charlottetown MP Sean Casey says employment security alleviation volition beryllium introduced wrong weeks to assistance those who suffer their jobs owed to caller American tariffs, if those tariffs aren't lifted soon.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a North American commercialized war by slapping 25 per cent tariffs connected virtually each Canadian goods.

In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has placed tariffs connected $30 cardinal worthy of American products bound for Canada, and plans to deed different $125 cardinal worthy of goods successful 3 weeks if Trump's tariffs enactment successful place.

Trudeau has besides hinted astatine perchance expanding EI eligibility to enactment workers who suffer their jobs oregon person their hours chopped arsenic a effect of the commercialized war.

Casey said Islanders won't person to hold agelong for assistance if the tariffs stay successful place.

"People, rather frankly, are surviving period to period and and if they suffer their occupation done nary responsibility of their own, and they don't suffice nether what the EI programme allows for, present there's going to person to beryllium immoderate latitude to accommodate them," helium told CBC's Island Morning.

Focus connected pressuring the U.S.

At the moment, though, Casey said radical won't perceive overmuch astir idiosyncratic alleviation efforts due to the fact that the absorption is connected trying to get the tariffs lifted.

"We are solely focused connected inflicting symptom connected the United States to get them to rethink this. So each of the vigor is focused connected making the duration of this commercialized warfare short, arsenic opposed to putting successful measures to mitigate successful the lawsuit that it isn't short," helium said.

The archetypal circular of counter-tariffs targets U.S. products similar orangish juice, peanut butter and bourbon — items tied to definite Republican-led states.

Casey added that the targeted states volition consciousness the pinch, which whitethorn unit Trump to reconsider.

"The longer it hurts, the louder they volition be, and yet he won't beryllium capable to disregard them.

"I don't deliberation he's listening to anyone yet … That volition alteration implicit time."

Eliminating Confederation Bridge tolls a analyzable issue

P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz precocious spoke with Trudeau astir reducing interprovincial commercialized barriers successful the look of a commercialized warfare truthful that Island businesses could vie much efficaciously successful different Canadian jurisdictions. Lantz wants that to include eliminating Confederation Bridge tolls, which has been talked astir for years.

However, Casey said that solution is "of simplistic nature" portion this is simply a analyzable contented that requires cautious consideration.

He questioned whether reducing the tolls is the champion alternative, compared to addressing different affordability issues. He pointed to the provincial state taxation of 8.5 cents per litre, which is not rebated to Islanders, saying that the speech astir proscription infrastructure costs should see these broader factors, not conscionable the span tolls.

"It's a speech worthy having. It's not achromatic and white, adjacent though it's being presented arsenic such," Casey said.

He besides noted that immoderate truckers person said successful the section media that dropping span and ferry tolls wouldn't importantly little market prices.

Elections connected the horizon

With a caller Liberal person acceptable to beryllium announced Sunday, and that idiosyncratic besides becoming Canada's adjacent premier minister, Casey is expecting an predetermination could beryllium called arsenic soon arsenic adjacent week.

He assured Islanders that the national authorities won't beryllium successful "caretaker mode" during the campaign, though.

"Cabinet ministers who person responsibilities with the U.S. narration volition proceed to person those responsibilities, and past they won't beryllium connected autopilot. They volition proceed to transportation those files."