US elections: Rustad says second Trump administration could benefit B.C

Following President-elect Donald Trump’s resounding victory this week, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad says the new U.S. administration could be positive for British Columbia.

“I’m hopeful for a victory with Trump, it’s going to change some things,” Rustad said Thursday.

While Trump has threatened to impose across-the-board minimum tariffs of 10 percent on U.S. imports, Rustad pointed to the increased 14.54 percent softwood lumber tariff introduced under Joe Biden’s presidency that is already hurting B.C.’s forestry sector .

“Trump is a dealmaker. Hopefully it will give us the opportunity to make a deal with the Americans, and I think that should be a priority for our government,” Rustad said. “We need to look at how we protect our forest sector, and I think they have ignored this at both the federal and provincial levels.”

He also noted that Trump has said he would repeal mandates and emissions targets for electric vehicles. Rustad believes BC should do the same and eliminate zero-emission targets for new vehicles.

“By 2030, when these mandates are in place, the low-cost vehicles will be removed from the market. People will have to pay significantly more for a vehicle in British Columbia,” he said. “And how does that help the average regular person who is struggling to put food on the table and pay the rent?”

That appeal to everyday financial realities and resistance to government intervention were central to Trump’s victory and play a major role in the growing popularity of conservative movements in British Columbia and Canada, said David Black, a professor at Royal Roads University.

“The unifying principle here – what brings these very diverse parties and politics together – is the magic ingredient that is populism,” Black said Thursday.

Whether Trump follows through on his plans to eliminate climate change measures or impose new tariffs won’t be clear until he is sworn in — but contingency planning has already begun north of the border.