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00:00Who's the audience for the speeches that you've been giving on this trip?
00:03Is it members of the administration, Americans broadly?
00:06Who are you hoping to convey that message to?
00:07The latter. I think we need, first of all, I believe in leverage.
00:11We're, as a country, going into renewal of the USMCA, as you call it,
00:15CUSMA, as we call it, and one of the greatest leverage points we have as Canadians
00:19is the goodwill of Americans.
00:21Poll after poll shows Americans like Canadians.
00:24They also understand that doing business with us is good for them.
00:28So I wanted to accentuate that leverage.
00:33I wanted to bring some vivid illustrations of how life could be more affordable for Americans
00:39if we had a tariff-free PAC between our two countries.
00:43And I think when you have Americans on side, the politicians will soon follow.
00:47So your audience is Americans generally, but I imagine you want to convey this
00:52to the President of the United States who's been pushing for tariffs not just with Canada
00:55but countries around the world.
00:56Do you think that that message can be resonant with him based on what you know of how he approaches
01:01trade?
01:01Yes, because what the President really wants is to repatriate production and jobs to America.
01:08And I understand his argument that American jobs have been outsourced to places like China.
01:16There are literally cases of American factories closing so that Chinese factories can open.
01:21That doesn't happen with Canada.
01:24Our role in the American economy is to supply the goods for production.
01:3070% of what we sell you is not for final consumption, but it goes into your production supply chain.
01:37So I'll give you an example.
01:38We sell about $100 billion of oil at huge price discounts, by the way.
01:43$100 billion, which you turn into $350 billion of final sales.
01:48So that means that the refinery worker in Baytown, Texas, is taking heavy crude from Canada
01:55and converting it into asphalt and jet fuel and other things like that, earning six-figure jobs.
02:02These are like the blue-collar, hard-working American people who the President wants to have bigger paychecks.
02:08Well, buying more Canadian goods will allow that.
02:11Buying more Canadian lumber will allow your youth to afford homes and your carpenters to swing more hammers.
02:17Buying more Canadian aluminum will allow your automakers to produce more F-series Ford pickup trucks
02:23at lower prices to your consumers.
02:26So if the President's objective is more American-based production, importing the materials for that production
02:35from a reliable neighbor at good prices is part of that plan.
02:40Your itinerary hasn't taken you to Washington.
02:42What should we read into that, you not going there on the street?
02:44I'm very open about it.
02:45We only have one prime minister at a time.
02:47I don't want to interfere in the negotiations.
02:49If at some point the government in Ottawa asks me to intervene and talk with the members of the administration
02:55in Washington,
02:56I'd be happy to do it.
02:57But I think where I can be most helpful is making the pitch to the American people,
03:02American legislators and governors,
03:05and collaborating with our government back home on making it a success.
03:09I covered the last campaign, and I think there was an inclination on your part to focus,
03:14and really to focus on Canada, not to take trips abroad.
03:16What does this say about perhaps a shift in focus that you have,
03:19or a way that you're rethinking your brand of politics?
03:22Well, I think it's addition, not replacement.
03:25My calculation is that my support base was basically aspirational, hardworking people
03:31who weren't getting what they deserved.
03:34Young people who've been busting their back to try and get a home and still couldn't afford one.
03:40Single moms who couldn't afford food.
03:43Seniors whose rent had just been jacked up.
03:45I wanted to speak to them about the problems we had at home.
03:50But I think we can continue to do that while adding to the menu strong leadership
03:56on fighting for Canada to get tariff-free access to the biggest and most lucrative market in the world,
04:01our neighbor next door.
04:03So it's not that I'm going to abandon the fight against inflation,
04:08the fight for affordable homes and safe streets.
04:11It's that I'm going to add to it.
04:12I saw a Canadian pollster write recently, we're seeing a calmer and more reflective Pierre Polyev.
04:16Is this a concerted reset in any way, or is it not that?
04:20I wouldn't say so.
04:22Look, I think I'm showing other parts of my persona that have always been there.
04:28I don't believe you can fake it.
04:29You just have to be yourself.
04:30But I want to show people all the things that I can bring to the job as prime minister.
04:36And, you know, sometimes in the job you have to be prosecutorial and aggressive,
04:41and other times you have to be reflective and strategic.
04:43So it's about more broadening the range rather than changing who I am, which I'll never do.
04:49I want to have you draw a contrast between your view of Canada and the world
04:54and the prime minister's view of Canada and the world vis-a-vis the United States.
04:57So he, Prime Minister Carney, went to Davos, delivered this speech,
05:00talked about a rupture, really an irreparable rupture,
05:03that Canada needed to move on because things had changed.
05:05Your outlook is markedly different from that.
05:08Spell that out for me.
05:09So my outlook is that the United States is the,
05:13and American capitalism is the greatest economic force the world has ever seen.
05:19That's just, that's not my opinion.
05:21That's not an ideological point of view.
05:22That's just a mathematical fact.
05:24U.S. GDP far outstrips any other competitor.
05:28You have the biggest military the world has ever seen.
05:30And you're right next door.
05:32We sell twice as much to America as to the rest of the world combined.
05:35We sell 20 times more to America than we sell to China.
05:40Our interests are intertwined with the United States of America.
05:45We have to get this relationship back on track.
05:48And I believe that we can because, first and foremost,
05:52all of our interests on security, affordability, and economic growth are broadly aligned.
05:59Our peoples like each other.
06:01Our geography, as Kennedy said, our geography made us neighbors.
06:05History made us friends.
06:06Economics made us partners.
06:08Necessity made us allies.
06:11Those whom nature hath joined together to let no man put asunder.
06:16I believe that actually captures it.
06:18In simple terms, you can't hire a realtor and move your country away.
06:22And nor would we want to.
06:23I wouldn't want any other neighbor.
06:24And frankly, I don't think the Americans would rather have another neighbor than Canada.
06:27So let's get past the politics, fix the relationship, and let our countries go forward successfully.
06:33What do you read into the popular response to the rupture comment in specific?
06:37It does seem like that resonated with a lot of Canadians who have been frustrated not just by the rhetoric,
06:41but with the economic uncertainty and tumult that we've seen over the last year.
06:44Look, I mean, Canadians are a little bit startled and confused about how somehow we ended up in the crosshairs
06:53of tariffs and other comments.
06:58And so I understand why people feel the way they do.
07:01And what I've told my compatriots is let's focus on what we can control.
07:06We can't control what the president says or does.
07:08Only he controls that.
07:10So what can we control?
07:12And back at home, what we can control is unblocking our resources, reducing our tax burden,
07:19opening up free enterprise so that we can become strong, self-reliant.
07:23And if we're stronger at home, then we will have the unbreakable leverage abroad that will help us get what
07:29we want
07:29from our American partners but other countries as well.
07:32So much of the rhetoric on the campaign trail from the liberals was Mark Carney can confidently have these negotiations
07:39with President Trump.
07:40There wasn't a whole lot of that from you.
07:42So for those wondering what your attack would be compared to his, how would you approach those trade negotiations differently?
07:48What could you tell us just about the way that you would try to broker a deal with the U
07:51.S. in this moment?
07:53Leverage.
07:53That's the key word.
07:55And we have a lot of leverage that we perhaps didn't, we don't realize what we have.
08:00We're America's second biggest customer.
08:02We are the number one destination for exports from about 30 different states.
08:08We have in this, like look at what's happening right now.
08:10Oil prices are up 60%.
08:12Americans are paying $5 a gallon in some parts of the country.
08:16We are the single biggest seller of oil to the United States of America.
08:22We sell 10 times more oil than your next biggest supplier, Mexico.
08:28And we have the ability to produce an extra 2 million barrels, which would be about 10% of your
08:33daily consumption.
08:342 million barrels a day.
08:36We can actually supply you with affordable energy.
08:39If you're that American guy who's at the pump today and you're overpaying, Canada could be part of the solution
08:45to that.
08:46And then you've got minerals.
08:49We've got 10 of the NATO-defined defense minerals that are necessary for modern warfare, whether it's cobalt for the
08:59alloys that go into jet engines,
09:00or it's germanium for night vision technology, or we've got aluminum, which you need for armored vehicles and aircraft.
09:10The list goes on.
09:11We should build up a massive strategic reserve of that and avail it to those allies that sign on to
09:17us in free trade agreements.
09:18The Americans would obviously be on our side, I would presume, in a future conflict.
09:24And in that case, if we have built up a massive reserve of both energy and minerals,
09:30and we've signed on to an agreement that allows preferred access to that, then Americans would benefit.
09:37Now, to get that, what do we want in return? Tariff-free trade.
09:42We want the tariffs gone on our aluminum, steel, autos, lumber.
09:47So, simply put, build up leverage using our strengths. Use that leverage to get tariff-free trade.
09:53What is the sense that you have of President Trump being open to that, tariff-free trade, indeed having these
09:59negotiations?
09:59I imagine there's a lot of endemic impatience in Canada for how long this is dragged on.
10:04I think there is, but I think that if you look at what the President's stated objectives are,
10:10he wants more production in the United States and he wants greater national security.
10:15Canada, as an independent and separate country, with whom the United States would have a free trade agreement
10:20that includes things like a strategic minerals and energy agreement, would serve those purposes.
10:28So, you know, our interests as countries are fairly aligned. We just have to put them into practice.
10:35Do you have a relationship with him? Is he somebody you've met or talked to in the past?
10:38I haven't met him, no.
10:39Do you hope to?
10:41Look, I would welcome that if I become Prime Minister and the people put me in charge of the negotiations,
10:46obviously I would meet with the President.
10:49The relationship with Washington is the most important one that any prime minister has.
10:54But for the time being, we have a prime minister, and I respect that we don't want to cross wires.
10:59In your speeches, you've cited Adam Smith, talked about free markets.
11:02And I'm very curious from your vantage how you see the resonance of that in the United States today,
11:06particularly among the Republican Party and with President Trump.
11:09We've seen the U.S. take stakes in companies,
11:13do things that I think would be an anathema to a lot of traditional Republicans in this country.
11:16Do you feel like there is a potential for a warm reception to that kind of rhetoric among Republicans,
11:22among the American electorate in this day and age?
11:25I think so. I think free enterprise is going to have a big resurgence
11:29because it's the greatest economic system that the world has ever seen.
11:33Countries that have economic freedom, have healthier populations, more prosperity, less poverty,
11:38higher literacy rates, lower child mortality.
11:42Everything is better in free enterprise than in government-controlled economies.
11:47And the reason that countries like the United States and Canada,
11:52at times the United Kingdom, prospered so much is because they effectively adopted
11:56the free enterprise vision that Adam Smith laid out in The Wealth of Nations in 1776,
12:02the 250th anniversary of which we just witnessed.
12:06And I think the alternative is state-controlled economics,
12:10which leads to vast inequality, grinding poverty, corruption, government control, and misery.
12:18So take your pick.
12:20You mentioned the moment that we're in with this war roiling in the Middle East,
12:24and a lot of what you've been talking about is the potential for more security cooperation going forward.
12:27You've heard President Trump's entreaty that allies should get involved in that war
12:32and trying to protect the Strait of Cormuz.
12:34From where you sit, are you comfortable in committing Canadian troops to going to fight in that war?
12:40We won't have Canadian ground troops.
12:44I can't comment on what our government is considering right now
12:49because we don't know what the request is.
12:51I'm not aware of any specific request by our allies to do something in particular,
12:56so I'd have to match up that request with what capabilities we have in the Canadian Armed Forces
13:00before I can answer.
13:01But one thing we can contribute is a massive increase in Canadian oil and gas production.
13:06We've got to be less reliant on the Middle East for our energy.
13:10We have the fourth biggest supply of oil.
13:14If you want to consider the other ones, they're Venezuela, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
13:18So if you want a supplier, who is it going to be out of those four?
13:21It's going to be Canada.
13:22We have the capacity to power the entire world's natural gas demand for 200 years with Canadian gas.
13:30We have cold weather to liquefy at 25% cheaper than in your Gulf Coast.
13:34We have shorter shipping distances to Europe and Asia than the U.S.
13:39So I think this is a moment for us to flex our energy muscles,
13:44unblock our resources, and become a real powerhouse in oil and gas.
13:48Can I ask perhaps a naive question?
13:50You mentioned how you'd like to see a strategic reserve of minerals and fuel.
13:53Why has that been something that Canada hasn't pursued in the past?
13:57I really don't know.
13:58Do you think that it's something widely resonant that people would back that?
14:01Now especially.
14:02I mean the International Energy Agency just released 400 million barrels
14:07and we have the ability to crank out 5 or 6 million a day like normal,
14:13but we don't have any stockpiled.
14:15A strategic reserve would have allowed us to profit massively from these price spikes
14:20at the same time as contributing to relief at the pump for consumers.
14:24It would also help if, God forbid, we're ever in a war and wars lead to energy shortages
14:30because big machines require lots of energy.
14:34If we had 100 million barrels of oil in reserve on top of all the minerals
14:39that it takes to make weapons systems,
14:41then everyone would be looking to us as an important player to win the war.
14:47So let's plan now for that eventual unfortunate outcome and use our strengths to do it.
14:53I'd like to close by just asking you to survey the political terrain in Canada domestically.
14:57So we're looking ahead to a by-election on April the 13th.
15:00I'd love to look beyond that as well.
15:02If the Liberals were to secure a majority, thin as that might be,
15:05how does that change your political calculus, the political calculus of the Conservative Party?
15:14Look, my policies are not going to change.
15:17I'm going to continue to be absolutely monomaniacally obsessed with affordability no matter what.
15:23Everywhere I go in Canada, I meet moms who are struggling to feed their kids.
15:29I meet young people who are working 60-hour weeks and can barely afford their rent.
15:33I meet seniors who can't retire because it's just too expensive.
15:38So my obsession is going to be affordability, affordability, affordability,
15:43regardless of what happens in the by-elections
15:45or whether the election is in three months or in three years.
15:50We've seen this string of defections, not all of which have been from your party.
15:54Are you confident there won't be more of them?
15:57Look, at the end of the day, I'm better at predicting the past than the future.
16:02But my focus is just on doing my job to fight for the people
16:06that gave us a record number of votes in the last election.
16:10And I think it's up to members of parliament to honour the decision that their electors made
16:15in their respective constituencies to do the same.
16:19Last question is just how you plan to broaden your base, the Conservative space, going forward.
16:24So you mentioned you're sticking to your values and principles that you've campaigned on in the past.
16:28Yes.
16:28What changes in terms of campaigning?
16:30Were you trying to get a message out to more Canadians to get them on side,
16:34on the Conservative side going forward?
16:37So, look, we've got a record number of votes in Canada's big cities, but we have to get even more.
16:42So what are the urban issues that we have to focus on?
16:44One is safety.
16:45We have to bring in much tougher laws to keep our communities safe from crime.
16:52Secondly, housing.
16:53Our young people want to start families, but they need to own a home to do it.
16:57We want to be the party of home ownership.
16:59And I believe if we can present young people with a plan to own a home
17:03by getting rid of all the tax and bureaucracy that blocks home building,
17:08then we can be the party of young Canadians.
17:12A funny piece of trivia is that the Elections Canada holds a mock election in every high school in Canada.
17:18So like a million kids vote.
17:19And we won it.
17:20I mean, who would have thought the Conservatives would win that?
17:22Those kids are growing up and they're going to be able to vote in the next election.
17:26So we want to be the party of the aspirational, hardworking, young person that dreams of the Canadian promise.
17:33And that, I think, is part of the goal to win the next election.
17:37Mr. Leader, thank you very much.
17:38Thanks for having me.
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