Poilievre wants Canada to send military to secure U.S. border

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Ottawa to send Canadian Armed Forces troops and helicopters to the U.S. border “to spot and intercept risks.”

That’s one of Poilievre’s many recommendations on how Canada should respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s border concerns, which triggered now-paused tariff threats.

Speaking in Vancouver Monday, a day before Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs were expected to take effect – as well as Canada’s retaliatory tariffs – Poilievre says the federal government also needs to hire at least 2,000 border agents.

The Conservative leader also wants the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) powers extended along the entire border, not just at border crossings.

In addition, Poilievre wants Canada to install high-powered scanners at land borders and shipping ports.

“These scanners can see through walls of containers and vehicles to spot drugs, guns and stolen cars,” he said.

Installing border surveillance towers and truck-mounted drone systems to spot incursions and track deportees to ensure they are leaving is also part of Poilievre’s recommendations. “So that we know the people who have been deported have actually left,” he said.

In December, Ottawa laid out a $1.3-billion border plan that will add personnel, helicopters, drones, drug-sniffing dogs and surveillance towers to the border.

“I’ve been calling to reinforce our border for about eight years now,” Poilievre told reporters Monday. “I was the first to come out and demand the closure of Roxham Road where tens of thousands of people entered illegally. I was then the one who forced Justin Trudeau through an ultimatum to close Roxham Road. I called for scanners to be put in at all of our ports well over a year ago to be able to intercept drugs, guns and other contraband.

“I have been saying we need to have strong borders for years, and I haven’t been saying it to please anyone in the White House. I’ve been doing it to save the lives of our people.”

Trudeau says Trump agreed to pause a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods after Trudeau promised to bolster border security. The tarrifs were set to go into effect on Tuesday, but will now be paused for at least 30 days while the two sides work towards a permanent deal.

The news comes after the second phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

Some of the new measures include appointing a Fentanyl Czar, listing cartels as terrorists, and launching a new Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime.

Trump has accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States on trade.

Canada said it was prepared slap retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, with the federal government releasing a detailed list of the retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion in goods.

Poilievre repeated his call for the Liberal government to reconvene Parliament to debate and pass measures to oppose the tariffs.

“We need a Canada first agenda that will protect us against these unfair and unjustifiable tariffs,” he said Monday.

“That is how we become stronger, more self-reliant, and less hopelessly dependent on foreign powers and foreign governments.”

Trudeau prorogued Parliament until March 24 while the Liberal party chooses its next leader. The government can impose retaliatory tariffs without recalling Parliament but any legislative changes or major aid packages would require parliamentary approval.

–With files from The Canadian Press