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

Charlottetown MP Sean Casey says employment insurance relief will be introduced within weeks to help those who lose their jobs due to tariffs, if those tariffs aren't lifted.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a North American trade war by slapping devastating 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods.

In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has slapped tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products and plans to hit another $125 billion in three weeks.

Trudeau has also hinted at possibly expanding EI eligibility to support workers affected by the trade war.

Casey said Islanders won't have to wait long for help if the tariffs remain in place.

"People, quite frankly, are living month to month and and if they lose their job through no fault of their own, and they don't qualify under what the EI program allows for, now there's going to have to be some latitude to accommodate them," he told CBC's Island Morning.

At the moment, though, Casey said people won't hear much about individual relief efforts because the focus is on trying to get the tariffs lifted.

"We are solely focused on inflicting pain on the United States to get them to rethink this. So all of the energy is focused on making the duration of this trade war short, as opposed to putting in measures to mitigate in the event that it isn't short," he said.

The first round of counter-tariffs targets U.S. products like orange juice, peanut butter, and bourbon, which are usually items tied to certain Republican-led states.

Casey added that the targeted states will feel the pinch, which may force Trump to reconsider.

"The longer it hurts, the louder they will be, and eventually he won't be able to ignore them, so I don't think he's listening to anyone yet … That will change over time."

P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz recently spoke with Trudeau about reducing interprovincial trade barriers, including eliminating Confederation Bridge tolls, which has been talked about for years.

However, Casey said that solution is "of simplistic nature" while this is a complex issue that requires careful consideration.

He questioned whether reducing the tolls is the best alternative, compared to addressing other affordability issues. He pointed to the provincial gas tax of 8.5 cents per litre, which is not rebated to Islanders, saying that the conversation about transportation infrastructure costs should consider these broader factors, not just the bridge tolls.