SATURDAY RECAP: Singh talks health care, Carney called out in west coast, Poilievre promises red tape cuts

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Follow the Toronto Sun’s live coverage of Canada’s 45th general election and tariff-related news, with contributions from Brian Lilley, Bryan Passifiume, Lorrie Goldstein and columnists Joe Warmington and Warren Kinsella, as well as contributions from the Sun’s editors and reporters covering the election ahead of the April 28 vote. Plus, you can find all of our election coverage here.

CANADIANS VIEW U.S. TARIFFS, AGGRESSION TOP ISSUE FACING COUNTRY

A poll released this week by Leger, which surveyed Canadians, Americans and Mexicans, showed that our country’s residents viewed tariffs and American aggression as the number one issue Canada is facing.

The poll, the first trilateral survey conducted by Leger, showed differing views from the two other participating countries when it comes to tariffs, with Mexicans rating it high in their minds while roughly 1% of Americans consider unfair trade practices by Canada and Mexico to be a pressing issue.

The poll noted 38% of Canadians consider tariffs, Trump and U.S. aggression to be the top issue facing Canada, with inflation (20%), housing affordability (10%), healthcare (8%) and government debt (4%) rounding out the top five concerns.

Bryan Passifiume has more on the issue here.

GUNTER: CBC PLEDGE SHOWS CARNEY WOULD COMPOUND ECONOMIC DAMAGE

If you want to see how much a Mark Carney government would be similar to a Justin Trudeau government, look no further than Carney’s announcement on CBC funding this past Friday.

According to columnist Lorne Gunter, Carney promised that, if re-elected, the Liberals would increase CBC’s budget by more than 10%, which equates to a $150 million budget boost, with the Liberal leader stating he wouldn’t stop at that amount.

If re-elected, Gunter argues Canadian citizens will elect a federal government that feels empowered to continue the same damaging economic, environmental and cultural policies of its predecessor.

Read more from Gunter here.

SINGH TALKS HEALTH CARE IN ST. JOHN’S

The New Democrat Party wants to see more Canadians with family doctors.

During a campaign stop at the Emera Innovation Exchange in St. John’s, N.L., on Saturday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh he believed every resident should have a family doctor, stating it’s a “fundamental part of our health-care system.”

Singh promised to deliver what he believed was a comprehensive way to fix health care in Canada. This plan includes making sure doctors are getting trained in provinces, increasing the number of residences available to foreign doctors by 1,000 and reducing administrative work so they can see more patients.

Read more about his plan here.

LILLEY: TRUMP DID NOT PUT CANADA IN THIS MESS, LIBERALS DID

In the last decade, our country has faced rising unemployment, a broken immigration system and unaffordable housing.

You can’t blame all that on U.S. President Donald Trump, according to columnist Brian Lilley, but rather the Liberals.

Lilley writes that Trump is the only issue on the ballot for the upcoming federal election for some Canadians, which is odd since he doesn’t live in Canada, nor is he involved in Canadian policies.

However, despite being in power for close to a decade and being unpopular in recent times due to their policies, Canadians could very well re-elect the Liberals, not because of them or their leader, Mark Carney, but because of Trump.

Read more from Lilley here.

GOLDSTEIN: ONLY POILIEVRE, CONSERVATIVES UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMN ANTISEMITISM

While antisemitism has always been present in Canada, this is the first Canadian election in decades where it has been normalized.

Ironically, the strongest defenders of Canada’s Jewish community are the Conservatives, writes columnist Lorrie Goldstein, who the Liberals often accuse of conspiring with neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

More from Goldstein here.

KINSELLA: TO WIN, POILIEVRE NEEDS TO RESTRAIN HIMSELF

While Pierre Poilievre is winning with his rallies, it’s Mark Carney who is winning with the pollsters.

According to columnist Warren Kinsella, the Conservative Leader should be playing it cool. If he’s too hot, his partisans at his rallies will love it, but Poilievre will lose everyone else.

While Poilievre’s rallies are indeed well-attended, the Conservatives just aren’t where the party needs to be. The debates therefore will be very important.

Kinsella has more here.

CARNEY CALLED OUT FOR NOT VISITING THE WEST COAST

Two weeks into the campaign trail, observers in British Columbia are calling out Mark Carney for not visiting the West Coast.

The NDP has slammed the Liberal Leader as “missing in action,” noting he hasn’t stepped foot in B.C. since calling an election 13 days ago. Carney’s absence is in stark contrast to opposition leaders, who have devoted several days to campaigning in B.C.

Despite this, polls show the Liberals are faring well in British Columbia, noting the party is surging under Carney after Justin Trudeau’s resignation.

Cheryl Chan has more here.

POILIEVRE PROMISES BUSINESSES TO SEE 25% LESS RED TAPE

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to wake up the Canadian economy from the “red-tape-induced slumber” in his latest pitch to businesses – a so-called ‘two-for-one’ law is a more aggressive version of the existing Red Tape Reduction Act that enforces a one-for-one rule.

Poilievre said he would also mandate that for every dollar in new administrative costs, two dollars must be cut elsewhere.

In a statement released ahead of a campaign stop in Osoyoos, B.C.,  Poilievre said federal regulatory requirements on businesses have increased by about 15% to more than 149,000 under the Liberal government, costing firms at least $51 billion annually.

Read about it here.

WHERE THE LEADERS WILL BE SATURDAY

The Federal party leaders will start their second full weekend of the campaign at opposite ends of the country.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is in Osoyoos, B.C., where he’s scheduled to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in Atlantic Canada, where he’s slated to make an announcement in St. John’s, N.L., in the morning before heading to Halifax, N.S., for a late afternoon campaign event.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be in Oakville, Ont., where he will make an announcement in the morning before heading to Toronto.

Read more about it here.