Gould says Trump won't listen to journalists and central bankers in swipe at Liberal leadership rivals
Launching her campaign, Gould says 'Canadians don't trust the Liberal Party of Canada'
Fresh out of the gate from launching her federal Liberal leadership bid, Karina Gould suggested her two main opponents' backgrounds would do little to gain the favour of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
"I'm not sure that journalists and central bankers are the kind of people that Donald Trump listens to," the Ontario MP said in an interview airing Sunday on CBC's Rosemary Barton Live.
Gould's former cabinet colleague, Chrystia Freeland, worked as a journalist and editor at a number of news organizations, including the Financial Times and Reuters, before entering politics. Mark Carney served as the governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
The race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced nearly two weeks ago he would step aside once a successor is chosen, is heating up just as Trump prepares to take office on Monday.
Trump has threatened to levy a 25 per cent across-the-board tariff on Canadian goods, a move economists and lawmakers have warned would be devastating for the Canadian economy.
Gould, who announced her bid on Saturday, said Canada needs someone "strong, who's not afraid to stand up to bullies."
"If you give a bully your lunch money, they don't stop asking for your lunch money. They come back for more and they try and shake you down," she told host Rosemary Barton.
Burlington MP says Liberals out of step with Canadians
Asked about her economic bona fides against Carney and Freeland — who until just recently was the country's finance minister — Gould said she believes people are "looking for someone who understands what they're going through.
"I'll be very honest with you ... Canadians don't trust the Liberal Party of Canada right now," she said. "We've gotten further away from the grassroots and talking about the things Canadians care about."
Gould, who represents the riding of Burlington, has held a series of cabinet positions, most recently as the government's House leader, but said she's stepping aside from cabinet to focus on her run.
As the government's point person in the chamber, Gould routinely squared off against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
She took aim at the Opposition leader, who has been riding high in public polling for more than a year, accusing him of capitulating to Trump.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Poilievre agreed that Canada should be prepared to use every economic tool necessary to retaliate. But he did not answer a question about whether Canada's energy exports should be part of a Canadian retaliatory strategy.
"When the rubber hits the road and he's asked to stand up for Canada, he immediately says, 'Oh, but not everything is on the table," Gould said.
"I'm sorry, when your country is under threat, everything is on the table because every Canadian matters."
In a statement on Sunday, the Conservatives painted Gould as a Liberal insider.
"Karina claims to want to find a way to make life more affordable for Canadians, but she voted in favour of the carbon tax 48 times," a news release from the party said.
Gould would freeze carbon tax increase
During her Sunday launch, she was asked about the consumer carbon tax, one of her government's signature environmental policies.
Gould said she would pause the scheduled increase in the federal carbon price in April, but she wouldn't repeal the policy that has been a target of the Conservatives.
"What I understand about Canadians is that they care about climate change, they care about reducing their emissions and they're looking for ways that they can help do that, but in a way that is more affordable," Gould told Barton.
If she's successful, the 37-year-old would become the youngest prime minister in Canadian history.
"It's definitely an asset," she said of her age.
"What I hear from people right across the country is that they are looking for something fresh, they are looking for new energy and they are looking for someone who is here not just today but also tomorrow and for the long term."
Liberals will choose next PM on March 9
First elected in Burlington, Ont., in 2015, Gould was promoted to a cabinet role two years later, taking the democratic institutions portfolio after Trudeau abandoned his promise to bring in electoral reform.
She made history becoming the first federal cabinet minister to take maternity leave, after giving birth to her son, Oliver, in 2018. She gave birth to her daughter, Taya, nearly a year ago.
Gould took the families, children and social development portfolio after the 2021 election, where she was tasked with handling the political mess of backlogged passport applications.
She also helped bring in the national child-care program, which she called one of her proudest moments in office.
"I've helped Canadians save thousands of dollars a year to make sure their kids are looked after well," Gould said.
The Liberal Party announced it will choose its next leader — and by extension Canada's next prime minister — on March 9. Hopefuls have until Jan. 23 to declare their candidacy. People can register with the party to vote in the leadership race until Jan. 27.
MP Chandra Arya, who represents the Ottawa-area riding of Nepean; former Montreal MP and businessman Frank Baylis; and MP Jaime Battiste, who represents the Nova Scotia riding of Sydney—Victoria, have all declared they're running for the leadership.
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