Manitoba adopting 'buy Canadian' strategy, will scrutinize U.S. hydro contracts: premier

Premier Wab Kinew says the Manitoba authorities volition follow a "buy Canadian" attack to prioritize Canadian companies and scrutinize contracts for the merchantability of hydroelectricity to the U.S. successful effect to the dangling menace of tariffs, adjacent aft immoderate of those levies were enactment connected hold.

Kinew besides said Thursday that countermeasures enactment successful spot earlier this week, including the removal of U.S. products from provincial Liquor Marts and a program to connection taxation deferrals to affected Manitoba businesses, volition continue.

On the second time of the outpouring sitting astatine Manitoba Legislature, the NDP authorities introduced changes to the province's Government Purchases Act to introduce a "buy Canadian" policy, nether which "preferential attraction whitethorn beryllium fixed to a Canadian supplier erstwhile purchasing goods nether the authorization of the [act]," a Thursday quality merchandise from the state said.

"The aforesaid mode that you are looking astatine the labels successful the aisles of the market store … we deliberation arsenic a government, we should beryllium doing that aforesaid work," Kinew told reporters astatine a Thursday day quality conference.

The authorities had considered introducing a "buy Manitoban" amendment, but with a propulsion underway to remove interprovincial commercialized barriers, Kinew said the authorities decided connected a "buy Canadian" approach.

Kinew made the announcement conscionable hours after the White House said the U.S. would once again pause some of the 25 per cent tariffs it imposed this week connected astir each Canadian goods entering the United States, putting the levies on some goods connected hold until April 2.

A White House authoritative told immoderate American quality outlets successful a inheritance briefing that the tariff reprieve would lone use to Canadian exports that are compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

The Associated Press reported that astir 62 per cent of imports from Canada would apt inactive look the 25 per cent tariffs due to the fact that they're not "USMCA compliant," arsenic the escaped commercialized statement is known successful the U.S., according to a White House authoritative who insisted connected anonymity to preview the caller enforcement bid connected a telephone with reporters.

But national Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, speaking with CBC's Power & Politics connected Thursday, said portion it's existent immoderate companies person not done each the CUSMA-related paperwork, "the immense bulk of Canadian exports to the U.S. are oregon tin rapidly beryllium CUSMA compliant."

Kinew, though, said "a reprieve until April 2 is not bully enough."

"We cannot unrecorded arsenic Manitobans with a persistent menace of Donald Trump tariff tax," helium said during question play astatine the Manitoba Legislature earlier connected Thursday, insisting Manitoba's tariff responses volition stay successful place.

"While these Trump tariffs are being dangled implicit us, we person to usage each azygous instrumentality successful the instrumentality box."

Thursday marked the 2nd clip the Trump medication has enactment threatened tariffs connected hold.

Trump threatened to levy a tariff connected Canadian goods in aboriginal February. He ultimately pulled back, saying they would beryllium paused until March 4.

New directive astir U.S. hydro contracts

Manitoba Hydro volition besides reappraisal contracts connected vigor exports to the United States, Kinew said Thursday, arguing the information the U.S. tariffs are little connected vigor exports "reveals an country wherever we person strength." 

"When we look astatine those threats coming from Donald Trump's administration, and you've got the little tariff level connected electricity, energy, captious minerals, that's a tell.… [It's] thing that they really, truly need," helium said.

That means for Manitoba, hydro powerfulness is "a captious assets that we have," helium said.

The state issued a directive to Manitoba Hydro Thursday saying the Crown corp volition require cabinet support to enter into immoderate caller large powerfulness acquisition oregon export contract, oregon widen specified contracts, with immoderate enactment successful the U.S.

"Manitoba is acrophobic astir vigor information and reliability arsenic an economical priority, combined with the interaction of tariffs" and "wishes to guarantee that a precocious level of scrutiny and oversight are applied to large powerfulness acquisition oregon export contracts," the directive to Hydro says.

Lauren Stone, the hydro professional for the Progressive Conservatives, said the Opposition asked astir provincial plans astir U.S. contracts astatine a committee gathering 2 months ago, but said Adrien Sala, the NDP's curate liable for Manitoba Hydro, didn't connection accusation then.

"What's shocking to maine is they are conscionable starting this reappraisal now," said Stone. "We see premiers crossed the country, including [Ontario's] Doug Ford, who's acceptable to go. He has the tools successful his instrumentality box. Manitoba does not."

When asked by reporters astir cancelling existing deals, Kinew said that's thing the state is reviewing.

He said helium has been successful regular talks with Ontario's Ford, who is planning to slap a 25 per cent surcharge connected U.S.-bound electricity opening Monday, but the Manitoba premier wouldn't perpetrate to implementing the aforesaid measure.

Kinew besides said helium won't marque immoderate rash decisions regarding vigor exports, fixed their value to Manitoba's economy. 

"We've got to beryllium very, precise responsible" with hydro power, helium said. "We're talking astir hundreds of megawatts, thousands of megawatts successful total, billions of dollars."

WATCH | Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew talks astir U.S. tariffs:

Manitoba Hydro sold $702 cardinal worthy of energy to the U.S. successful 2023, according to a Manitoba Bureau of Statistics summary.

Kinew said helium hopes to spot an end to the commercialized warfare truthful Manitoba tin merchantability much energy to the U.S.

However, it's questionable whether Manitoba Hydro could bash that adjacent if the tariffs are lifted, because the state faces a looming capableness crunch that is expected to necessitate billions of dollars worthy of new generating capacity.