John Rustad says 2nd Trump administration could bring benefits to B.C.

On the heels of president-elect Donald Trump's resounding win this week, B.C. Conservative Leader john Rustad says the incoming U.S. government could be positive for British Columbia.

“I’m hopeful for a win with Trump, it's going to change a couple of things,” said Rustad on Thursday.

While Trump has threatened to impose minimum 10 per cent tariffs across the board for U.S. imports, Rustad pointed to the increased softwood lumber tariff of 14.54 per cent, implemented under Joe Biden’s presidency, that’s already hurting B.C.’s forestry industry.

“Trump’s a deal-maker. Hopefully it gives us an opportunity to do a deal with the Americans, and I think that should be a priority for our government,” said Rustad. “We have to be looking at how we protect our forest sector, and I think both federally and provincially, they've ignored it.”

He also noted that Trump has said he'd remove electric vehicle mandates and emissions targets. Rustad thinks B.C. should do the same, and get rid of zero-emissions targets for new vehicles.

“By 2030, with these mandates in place, the low-end vehicles are going to be taken off the market. People are going to have to pay significantly more for a vehicle in British Columbia,” he said. “And how’s that helping the average everyday person who’s struggling to put food on the table and pay for the rent?”

That appeal to day-to-day financial realities and backlash to government intervention was central to Trump's victory, and plays a major role in the growing popularity of conservative movements in B.C. and Canada, according to David Black, a professor at Royal Roads University.

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

Whether Trump follows through with plans for removing climate change measures or imposing new tariffs won’t be clear until after he’s sworn in – but contingency planning has already begun north of the border.