As the threat of 25 per cent tariffs looms over Canada, Alberta’s premier says Ottawa should appoint a “border czar” to work collaboratively with the United States.
Danielle Smith told reporters Wednesday that a Canadian border czar would work with American counterpart Tom Homan to crack down on fentanyl and illegal crossings — something U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said is a major issue.
Smith said having a border czar, on top of a $1.3-billion border security plan pledged by Ottawa, would further help Canada’s chances to avoid the tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on Saturday.
“The one thing that we can do this week, in just the next couple of days, to have the best chance to avoid tariffs is to show clear and unequivocal action to secure the border,” Smith said.
She said a retired military general would be the right fit for the role.
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“We need someone who understands military operations, who understands deployment, who understands the seriousness with which we have to take this issue.”
Smith said she would endorse Alberta’s interim top bureaucrat, Paul Wynnyk, for the position.
Wynnyk is a longtime bureaucrat who has served as Alberta’s deputy minister of health and municipal affairs since his 38-year career in the Armed Forces.
Smith said creating a border czar position likely wouldn’t appease Trump, but it wouldn’t hurt Canada’s chances either.
“I think there’ll be other things that we will need to work on, and we will do so.
“But I am convinced, after speaking with dozens of elected representatives, administrative administration officials and the president himself that this is the most important first step.”
Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce, billionaire financier Howard Lutnick, told the U.S. Senate during his Wednesday confirmation hearing that he sees the tariffs as a way to get Canada to take action on border security.
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