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Hafeez Imran
@HafeezImranCan
Whitby, Ontario
Joined December 2020
249 Following
125 Followers
514 Posts
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I’m seeking the Conservative Party nomination in Whitby.
20+ years in banking (Senior Manager), 12+ years calling Whitby home. Long-time Conservative and campaign volunteer across Durham.
We have a real opportunity to grow, unite, and win.
Honoured to earn your support.
#Whitby #DurhamRegion #CPC
“Free trade in Canada by Canada Day.”
That was the promise ordinary Canadians heard. Not “I’ll remove a few federal barriers while provinces keep theirs.”
Carney presented himself as the experienced crisis manager and master negotiator who could get deals done.
If that negotiating skill couldn’t deliver free trade with our own provinces - and couldn’t deliver the promised breakthrough with Trump - what exactly did Canadians vote for?
The campaign language was bold.
The explanations afterward became technical.
The results speak for themselves.
Big promises. Fine print later.
#Canada #cdnpoli #trade #USMCA #CUSMA
This clip from 2025 deserves another look.
While defending his industrial carbon-pricing policy, Mark Carney dismissed concerns about costs flowing through the economy and joked: “How much steel are you using these days, Todd?”
Yesterday, Stelco announced it is idling major Hamilton operations. The union estimates 350 steelworkers will lose their jobs, with up to 500 employees affected. Stelco points primarily to U.S. tariffs and severe market disruption.
This is exactly why Canadian industrial competitiveness cannot be brushed aside.
Steel matters. Jobs matter. Costs matter.
And after promising the experience to manage the Trump crisis, where are the results? And when it will stop getting worse by the day?
#canada #cdnpoli #tarrif #economy
Haven’t we seen this movie before? 😄🇨🇦
Premier David Eby says B.C. needs an election two years early to stand up to President Trump.
But B.C. already has a majority government. Why not use that mandate to focus on jobs, investment, affordability and the economy?
We’ve seen this script before: Wash. Rinse. Repeat? 🙂
Perhaps politicians realize it’s easier to campaign against Trump now than to campaign later on their own economic record.
Standing up for Canada matters. But governing-and delivering results-is the job.
#canada #cdnpoli #britishcolumbia #election
These clips are from 2021 - before Pierre Poilievre became leader of the Conservative Party.
Watch how he explains inflation.
No complicated jargon. No hiding behind economic terminology. Just a clear explanation ordinary Canadians could understand: if government spending and the money supply rise dramatically while the supply of goods doesn’t keep pace, Canadians eventually pay through higher prices.
And what happened afterward?
Inflation surged to levels Canada had not seen in decades.
Pierre wasn’t explaining this after inflation became the biggest issue at the kitchen table.
He was warning about it BEFOREHAND - while many officials and economists were still telling Canadians inflation was “transitory.”
That brings me to something I keep hearing:
“Pierre has a leadership problem.”
What leadership problem?
Look at the actual democratic record.
2017 CPC leadership:
Andrew Scheer defeated Maxime Bernier on the 13th ballot — 50.95% to 49.05%.
2020:
Erin O’Toole defeated Peter MacKay on the 3rd ballot — 57.02% to 42.98%.
2022:
Pierre Poilievre won on the FIRST BALLOT with 68.15%.
No second ballot.
No third ballot.
No 13th ballot.
A decisive mandate.
During that leadership race, 62 of the other 118 Conservative caucus members endorsed him.
Stephen Harper also endorsed him - specifically pointing to Pierre’s effectiveness in challenging the government on debt, inflation and Conservative economic solutions.
Then came the biggest test.
After the 2025 federal election, Conservative members had another opportunity to judge Pierre’s leadership.
If they wanted change, they could have said so.
Instead, at the January 2026 CPC convention, 87.4% voted to keep Pierre Poilievre as leader.
87.4%.
You can dislike Pierre.
You can disagree with his policies, communication style or political strategy.
That is democracy.
But arguing that he somehow lacks legitimacy within the Conservative Party is increasingly difficult to reconcile with the facts.
Conservative members chose him overwhelmingly.
Conservative MPs backed him.
Senior Conservatives backed him.
And after an election defeat, Conservative members overwhelmingly reaffirmed him.
So why does so much political commentary continue obsessing over Pierre’s leadership rather than the performance of the government actually running Canada?
Mark Carney asked Canadians to trust his economic credentials.
He presented himself as the leader best equipped to manage Canada’s relationship with President Trump, secure better economic outcomes and remove barriers to Canadian growth.
Those promises deserve scrutiny based on RESULTS.
Pierre Poilievre is the Leader of the Opposition.
Scrutinize him.
Challenge him.
Question his policies.
Absolutely.
But Mark Carney is the Prime Minister.
He has the power.
He made the promises.
His government makes the decisions.
That means the government should carry the greater burden of accountability for Canada’s economic results.
Canadian democracy chose Mark Carney to govern.
And Conservative democracy chose Pierre Poilievre - overwhelmingly - to lead the opposition.
Perhaps it is time to stop manufacturing a Conservative leadership crisis that Conservative members already answered with 87.4% clarity - and start asking much tougher questions of the government actually running the country.
Pierre has his mandate.
Now let him take that Conservative movement to the finish line.
#cdnpoli #CPC #Canada
Supply management: what it is and are 40 million Canadians paying more to protect a system serving fewer than 10,000 dairy farms-and has protecting it become more about politics than economics?
What is supply management?
In simple terms, Canada controls dairy through three mechanisms:
1. Production quotas - farmers need quota to produce and sell milk.
2. Administered pricing - the system is designed to provide farmers with stable returns.
3. Import protection - only limited quantities of foreign dairy enter at low tariffs; imports above those quotas can face tariffs approaching 300%.
And now there’s a political dimension that is difficult to ignore.
During the recent Chicoutimi–Le Fjord by-election, the Liberals recruited Daniel Gobeil, then-president of Quebec’s dairy producers. PM Carney himself pointed to Gobeil’s candidacy as proof that his government was “loyal” to supply management. Gobeil has now won the riding.
Meanwhile, dairy supply management remains an irritant in our enormously important negotiations with the United States.
Are we protecting supply management because independent economic analysis shows it remains the best policy for 40+ million Canadians- or because defending it is politically valuable in dairy-heavy regions such as Quebec and Ontario?
There may be another solution.
If reforming or gradually ending supply management causes legitimate financial losses to farmers who invested heavily in quota under rules created by government, compensate them fairly and transition responsibly. Canada has already used billions of dollars in compensation programs when trade agreements reduced protection for supply-managed sectors.
Protect our farmers- but also protect consumers with lower prices, competitiveness and Canada’s broader economic interests.
At a time when our relationship with our largest trading partner is under enormous pressure, every protected policy should be open to an evidence-based discussion.
Is PM Carney protecting the best economic policy for Canada- or making another politically convenient choice at the expense of the broader economy?
#Canada #cdnpoli #CUSMA #USMCA
Pierre is absolutely right. Parliament cannot be irrelevant when the Prime Minister himself describes the situation as a “war.”
There is another reason Parliament needs to return: economic decisions made during a trade war can outlast the trade war itself.
Factories can move. Investment can go south. Small businesses can become unviable. Jobs can disappear. And Canadian counter-tariffs can impose additional costs here at home.
If walking away from the proposed deal and escalating retaliation was the right decision, the government should have no difficulty defending that decision before Parliament.
Bring back Parliament. Show the economic analysis. Let elected representatives scrutinize the strategy.
“Elbows Up” is a slogan. Canadians need an economic plan. 🇨🇦
It has now been over a week since the Prime Minister said Canada was “at war."
Yet not one word spoken in Canada’s Parliament. Where is the government’s analysis on the cost of the counter-tariffs to Canadian businesses and consumers?
Where is the draft deal the Prime Minister first accepted, telling Premiers to put liquor back on shelves, before changing his mind?
The people who are paying the price deserve to have their elected representatives debate, decide, and act in their interests: https://t.co/eS3Gz1d9YF
If U.S. tariffs hurt Canadian exporters, why wouldn’t Canadian counter-tariffs hurt U.S. exporters?
Of course they can. But the economic impact isn’t equal - and the two countries are pursuing very different strategies.
President Trump’s tariffs are painful for Canada, but they’re part of a broader U.S. strategy: make imports more expensive while making investment and production inside America more attractive, alongside lower taxes, deregulation and incentives to bring factories and jobs home.
Canada’s counter-tariffs are different. They’re primarily retaliation: “You tariff us, we’ll tariff you.” But retaliation isn’t an investment strategy.
Canada entered this fight from a much weaker position. More than 70% of our exports go to the U.S.- our only land neighbour and the world’s largest economy. Our smaller market, taxes, regulations and lengthy approvals already make attracting investment challenging.
For Canadian exporters facing U.S. tariffs, the calculation becomes uncomfortable:
Why expand production in Canada and pay tariffs entering our biggest market when production could move south instead?
That’s also a problem for international investors. One of Canada’s greatest advantages has been predictable access to the huge U.S. market. Take away that certainty and the case for putting the next factory in Canada becomes weaker.
Canadian counter-tariffs may hurt some American exporters, but they also increase costs for Canadian businesses importing U.S. equipment, components and products.
Then there’s politics.
PM Carney initially appeared to have a warmer relationship with President Trump, even receiving an honorary White House key. Then came international speeches-including Davos- criticizing the use of tariffs and economic integration as coercion.
Canadians can debate whether those speeches represented principled leadership or unnecessary confrontation. My question is simpler: did they help achieve the mandate Canadians needed most-a workable U.S. trade relationship and economic certainty?
Diversifying trade and defending Canadian sovereignty are essential. But diplomacy matters too.
Businesses aren’t waiting for politicians to win the rhetorical battle. They’re deciding today where to put their next factory, investment and job.
“Elbows Up,” counter-tariffs and international speeches may generate political applause. But workers struggling with mortgages and small businesses fighting to survive need something different: certainty, investment and jobs.
PM Carney’s priority should be restoring serious negotiations and reaching a reasonable deal as quickly as possible.
Presidents change. Geography doesn’t. America will remain our neighbour.
A tariff war may make good politics. Canada needs an economic strategy that makes good business sense. 🇨🇦
#Canada #Tariffs #Investment #SmallBusiness #Manufacturing #CUSMA #Economy #cdnpoli
Pierre is right. The real issue now is accountability.
A Prime Minister should be able to explain why the deal Canada was apparently preparing to accept suddenly became a deal Canada had to reject.
Maybe walking away was absolutely the right decision. If so, the facts should make that case better than any political talking point can.
Canadians are being asked to bear the economic consequences. They deserve enough information to judge the decision themselves.
Trust is earned through transparency.
Mark Carney was close enough to signing a deal that he had asked provinces to start putting U.S. liquor back on the shelves.
Then he walked away. From what?
We still don’t know.
He must release the deal he was about to sign. Trump has seen it. Carney has seen it.
Let Canadians see it.
Retaliation feels satisfying. But @ABDanielleSmith raises question that is bottom line: is Canada hurting Washington - or hurting ourselves?
President Trump’s tariffs hurt Canadian exporters trying to sell into USA But Canada’s counter-tariffs aren’t a bill that gets mailed to Donald Trump. They are collected here in Canada from businesses importing American products. Those businesses then have to absorb the additional cost, negotiate lower prices from suppliers, find alternatives, or pass some of it on to Canadian consumers.
We already have evidence of this. Bank of Canada research found that during Canada’s 2025 counter-tariffs, prices of affected products rose about 6% relative to comparable non-tariffed goods, with roughly one-quarter of the tariff ultimately showing up in retail prices.
I understand the emotional appeal of retaliation. But economic policy cannot simply be about “Elbows Up” politics or maintaining a voter base. We have to ask whether each retaliation actually protects Canadian workers - or makes it even harder for Canadian businesses and working families to survive.
Canada is now preparing additional counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion of US imports, matching the latest American measures.
PM Carney’s priority should be getting back to negotiating table and securing a reasonable deal that restores certainty as quickly ASAP as being suggested by all sane voices like @LisaRaitt Canada should never accept a bad deal simply for the sake of having one - but prolonging a trade war for political emotion or short-term electoral advantage would be disastrous.
Businesses need certainty. Workers need jobs. Families need affordability.
Results- not rhetoric
#canada #USMCA #cdnpoli #CUSMA
What happens when a country’s leaders master the politics of emotion - but fail the economics of prosperity?
CNBC put a brutal number to Dominic LeBlanc: Canada is projected to rank 38th out of 38 OECD countries in GDP-per-capita growth.
History is full of countries that had enormous potential but declined because slogans, political narratives and short-term popularity replaced productivity, investment and economic discipline.
Argentina is one of the clearest warnings. Once among the world’s wealthiest nations, decades of poor economic choices gradually eroded its prosperity.
Canada is not Argentina - but history teaches us that decline rarely announces itself. It happens slowly, while governments explain away each warning sign.
38th out of 38 is not a talking point. It is a warning.
#canada #cdnpoli #USMCA #CUSMA
As Canadians are vulnerable to an escalating trade war with the United States, Parliament must be reconvened.
Canadians deserve answers on how trade talks collapsed, what tariffs will cost their families, and how their jobs will be protected.
Prime Minister, reconvene Parliament now.
This is what economic uncertainty looks like - and now the Canadian dollar, jobs and investment are feeling it. 🇨🇦
PM Carney says Washington “asked too much” and that he wouldn’t compromise Canada’s sovereignty or key industries. Fair enough - but Canadians deserve to know what exactly was demanded, what Canada offered, and why walking away was considered the better option.
The consequences are no longer theoretical: 50% U.S. tariffs on roughly $20 billion of MORE Canadian goods, pressure on the Canadian dollar, and even greater uncertainty for businesses and workers.
And look at what’s already happening in the auto and EV sector. Honda’s ~$15-billion Ontario EV plan has been postponed. Stellantis shifted planned Brampton production to Illinois. GM ended BrightDrop production at CAMI. Umicore’s major Ontario battery-materials project remains paused. Not every dollar associated with these projects has been permanently “lost,” but Canada is clearly competing to keep investment from moving elsewhere-particularly south of the border.
PM Carney frequently talks about investment coming to Canada. But investors look at fundamentals, not speeches. One of Canada’s greatest competitive advantages has always been the ability to build here and sell tariff-free into the world’s largest economy next door. If access to the U.S. becomes uncertain, the economics of putting the next multibillion-dollar factory in Canada become much harder.
Diversification is necessary, but it cannot replace geography.
Canada needs serious, pragmatic negotiations with our largest trading partner-without political gimmicks, slogans or unnecessary international posturing.
Protect Canada’s sovereignty and industries, absolutely. But Canadians also deserve transparency about the alternative we’re choosing.
Tell Canadians what Washington demanded. Tell us what Canada rejected. And tell the workers watching investment and jobs move south why this is the better path.
#Canada #cdnpoli #Tariffs #CanadianDollar #CUSMA #USMCA
The Opposition is not asking Canada to reveal negotiating secrets to Washington- the U.S. already knows what was on the table. The request is simple: tell Canadians what was offered, what Canada was prepared to concede, and why the government ultimately walked away.
What’s the Deal?
Conservatives are disappointed that the United States has chosen to impose further unjustified tariffs on Canada. They threaten the jobs and livelihoods of families right across our country.
Canadians must stand united to defend our country against these unfair attacks on our jobs and businesses. Canada cannot accept one-sided tariffs that will deindustrialize our country. Nor can we accept a bad deal. Instead, we must continue the fight for tariff-free trade. Later today, I will seek a call with the Prime Minister to discuss what we can do to fight for our workers, businesses, and economy. Conservatives will always put our country first.
Conservatives support action to protect Canadians and our industries targeted by these unfair U.S. tariffs.
We also need urgent economic reforms to restore growth, protect jobs and save our industry. That must include ending the industrial carbon tax, repealing anti-development laws, green lighting the 500 economic projects awaiting federal approval and major tax reforms to return investment to our country, reward work, and recharge our economy.
All Canadians must stand united for our workers, our businesses and our country.
The 5 Stages of Grief - Liberal Voter Edition 🙂
(To my Liberal voter friends - with a little political humour.)
1. DENIAL - “Relax, Carney is the man for the crisis.”
• He ran central banks. He understands markets. Who could possibly negotiate better?
• He has international connections
• Trump respects successful business people - Carney will know how to deal with him.
• He’ll get the trade deal he promised;
• “Elbows Up” shows Canada finally has a strong leader.
• Those international speeches prove the world respects Canada again.
• Don’t worry about the tariffs-the strategy hasn’t had enough time to work.
• Give him a chance. The results are coming.
• He’s signing MOUs and building relationships around the world.
•
2. ANGER - “Why are we even trying to make a deal with Trump?”
• Trump can’t be trusted anyway.
• As Carney said, a deal with Trump may not be worth the paper it’s written on.
• America started the tariffs, so why should Canada make concessions?
• Maybe we should retaliate harder-oil, electricity, whatever gets Washington’s attention.
• “Elbows Up!” We shouldn’t bend to anyone.
• And if the economy is struggling, remember what Carney inherited..
• Somehow, after almost 12 years of Liberal government… this is still Pierre’s fault. 😄
3. BARGAINING - “Okay… but look at everything else Carney is doing.”
• Maybe we don’t get the tariff-free deal we expected, but some tariffs are unavoidable.
• Europe and Asia can eventually reduce our dependence on America.
• He’s working on pipelines, critical minerals and new export markets.
• Interprovincial trade is finally becoming easier-that could be huge for Canada.
• Maybe concessions to Washington aren’t surrender after all-they’re just pragmatic negotiations.
• Give all these announcements a little more time to become results.
4. DEPRESSION - “Okay… but why doesn’t life feel better?”
• Why does everything still seem so expensive?
• Why are businesses still asking for certainty?
• Why are Canadian jobs and investment moving south?
• Why can’t so many young Canadians find decent jobs?
• Why does housing still feel out of reach for our children?
• Why does crime and public safety seem to dominate conversations in our communities?
• What happened to quickly eliminating those interprovincial trade barriers?
• We signed all those MOUs-but where are the factories, investment and jobs?
• If diversification is the answer, why are the countries we’re courting also working so hard to maintain their own relationships with the U.S.?
• And after all those international speeches… why are we still trying to repair the relationship with our biggest trading partner?
5. ACCEPTANCE — “Maybe we should try something different.”
• Maybe “Elbows Up” was a great election slogan but not the best long-term negotiating strategy.
• Maybe some of those international speeches generated more applause than economic benefit.
• Maybe Canada should diversify without pretending we can replace the world’s largest economy which is also our only neighbor
• Maybe presidents come and go, but America will always be our neighbour.
• Maybe keeping a seat at the negotiating table was more important than winning the rhetorical battle.
• Maybe Pierre’s approach of focusing relentlessly on negotiations deserved a fairer hearing.
• Maybe Danielle Smith and Lisa Raitt had a point about diplomacy, pragmatism and keeping politics out of trade.
• Maybe after 12 years, changing the team isn’t such a radical idea.
• And maybe next time… vote Conservative and see what happens. 🙂
You don’t have to stop liking Carney. Just start judging him the same way you’d judge Pierre—by promises made, decisions taken and results delivered. 🇨🇦
#Canada #cdnpoli #CanadaUS #CUSMA #USMCA #Trade
Apparently, whatever happens, there’s always an excuse- and somehow Poilievre is still to blame. 🙂
If Canada gets a deal: “Carney is a genius.”
If Canada doesn’t get a deal: “Nothing Carney could have done.”
And after either outcome: “But Poilievre…”
Politics shouldn’t work this way. Mr. Carney asked Canadians to judge him on his ability to manage the crisis, negotiate with President Trump and bring economic stability. That means he should receive credit for good results - but also be held accountable when results fall short.
I genuinely hope Canada gets a strong deal. This isn’t about wanting a Prime Minister to fail just because he’s from another party. Canadian jobs, businesses, investment and families are on the line.
Support whoever you want- but never give any politician a blank cheque. Judge the promises. Judge the decisions. And most importantly, judge the results. 🇨🇦
#Canada #cdnpoli #CUSMA #USMCA
I can predict with 100% certainty how CBC coverage will unfold this week:
“Be careful what you say.” - Condoleezza Rice
That warning about Mr. Carney’s Davos speech gets to the heart of my concern.
Canada absolutely needs to diversify trade. We need stronger relationships with Europe, Asia and other markets. But those very countries are also working hard to maintain strong relationships with the United States. Why wouldn’t they? It is the world’s largest economy.
And for Canada, the reality is even more obvious: the U.S. is our largest trading partner and our only land neighbour. Geography isn’t changing.
International speeches may generate applause and raise a Prime Minister’s global profile, but words have consequences-particularly when you’re simultaneously trying to negotiate with the administration those words are aimed at.
Presidents will come and go. America will remain our neighbour. And Canadian businesses and jobs that move south during this uncertainty may never come back.
Diversify? Absolutely. But never at the expense of managing the most important economic relationship Canada has.
Diplomacy isn’t about applause. It’s about results for the people you represent. 🇨🇦
#Canada #cdnpoli l #CUSMA #USMCA #Trade
The deadline is looming. Tariffs could rise to 50%. And where is the Prime Minister who campaigned as the “man for a crisis”?
As this CBC analyst points out, Mr. Carney is in Italy while his negotiating team faces one of the most consequential trade deadlines Canada has seen in years.
Mr. Carney built his campaign around the promise that his experience and relationships would help Canada secure a better deal with our largest trading partner. Yet under his watch, tariffs have increased, uncertainty has dragged on, and Canada has made concessions without Canadians seeing the breakthrough they were promised.
Meanwhile, we watched speech after speech on the international stage - applause, headlines and praise abroad-but what has it delivered for Canadian workers at home? In my view, the relationship with the current U.S. administration has become harder, not easier, at exactly the time Canada needed relentless diplomacy and engagement.
I genuinely hope Mr. Carney’s strategy eventually produces something positive for Canada. But right now, with another tariff deadline approaching, businesses need certainty and workers need to know someone is fighting for their jobs.
This is the crisis Mr. Carney said he was elected to handle. Canadians shouldn’t be wondering where their Prime Minister is when the clock is running out. 🇨🇦
#Canada #cdnpoli #Trade #Tariffs #CUSMA #USMCA #Economy #Jobs
If concessions can protect Canadian jobs today, why weren’t pragmatic negotiations the priority from Day One?
I agree with the CTV analyst in principle: if reasonable concessions can prevent another 50% tariff and reduce the damage already hitting Canadian industries, we should negotiate. Protecting jobs and investment must come before political theatre.
But Canadians are entitled to ask: why did it take this long to embrace pragmatism? Why spend so much time delivering speeches around the world criticizing the current U.S. administration when the United States is our largest trading partner, the world’s biggest economy, and our only land neighbour?
Compare that with voices @ABDanielleSmith and @LisaRaitt , who have consistently emphasized engagement, diplomacy and keeping politics out of trade. @PierrePoilievre has also pushed for negotiating from the table rather than escalating rhetoric.
Speeches may build an international profile, but they don’t give a laid-off worker their job back or convince a company that has moved investment south to return.
Hopefully this more pragmatic approach continues. Enough political positioning. Get to the table, get the tariffs down, restore certainty and protect Canadian jobs before even more are lost. 🇨🇦
#Canada #cdnpoli #CUSMA #USMCA #Trade #CanadianJobs #economy
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