Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 30, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba WASHINGTON — The man U.S. Presi- dent Donald Trump has chosen to over- see his tariff agenda says hitting Can- ada with 25 per cent across-the-board duties would be an emergency measure to achieve border security — and could be followed by more tariffs in the fu- ture. During Wednesday’s Senate hearing on his nomination to lead the U.S. De- partment of Commerce, billionaire fi- nancier Howard Lutnick said the plan to impose duties on Canada and Mexico is distinct from Trump’s long-term tar- iff plans. He said the threatened 25 per cent tariff is not a “tariff per se” but a type of domestic policy meant to force America’s neighbours to take action at the borders. “You know that the labs in Canada are run by Mexican cartels. This tariff model is simply to shut their borders … Respect America,” Lutnick said Wed- nesday. “If we are your biggest trading partner, show us the respect. Shut your border and end fentanyl coming into this country.” The number of people and drugs crossing illegally into the United States from Canada is minuscule compared to the volume crossing the United States’ southern border, a point Canadian Pub- lic Safety Minister David McGuinty made repeatedly in a news conference in Ottawa following Lutnick’s remarks. Ottawa responded to Trump’s initial threat with a $1.3-billion border secur- ity plan and some provinces have sep- arately boosted border enforcement. But the president has since expanded his complaints about Canada far be- yond border security. Lutnick said he believes Canada and Mexico are “acting swiftly” on border security “and if they execute it, there will be no tariff and if they don’t, then there will be.” The White House press secretary said Tuesday that Trump was still con- sidering implementing the tariffs on Saturday. McGuinty said the federal govern- ment takes Lutnick’s comments ser- iously and it’s important to remind Trump’s team how far Canada has come on border security. He is trav- elling to Washington on Thursday to share that message directly with American officials. “I’m quite convinced that the evi- dence that’s being presented to the ad- ministration will break through,” Mc- Guinty said in Ottawa. During Wednesday’s confirmation hearing, Lutnick was asked about the possible impacts of the tariffs on manufacturing and automotive indus- tries. His answer suggested that even if Canada avoids the threatened bor- der-related duties, it could still face tariffs in the near future following a multi-agency study of trade practices and deficits ordered by Trump. Trump signed an executive action that, among other things, directs the secretary of commerce and the sec- retary of homeland security to assess migration and fentanyl flows from Canada, Mexico and China, and to recommend “appropriate trade and national security measures to resolve that emergency.” It also instructs the U.S. trade repre- sentative to start consultations on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. Trump’s executive action says the report on trade with Canada is not due until April 1. Lutnick said he prefers tariffs on en- tire countries, rather than on specific products. He said across-the-board tar- iffs “create reciprocity, fairness and respect.” “My way of thinking, and I’ve dis- cussed this with the president, is coun- try by country, macro. Let America make it more fair,” Lutnick said. “We are treated horribly by the global trad- ing environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly.” Canadian officials say they remain focused on thwarting the immediate tariff threat. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly was back in Washington, D.C., Wednesday and met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, who is co-chair of the American-Canadian Economy and Security Caucus. It’s Joly’s fifth visit to the U.S. since last November’s presidential elec- tion — part of her efforts to convince American lawmakers that imposing tariffs on Canada would run counter to both countries’ interests. Canada’s case still needs to be made to other key Republicans, Joly said, but the Canadian message is resonating. While Joly said her goal remains pre- venting tariffs, Ottawa is preparing for the president to make good on his threat. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a virtual meeting with premiers Wed- nesday. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said they discussed the impact of tariffs, supports for provinces and ways to diversify exports to reduce Canada’s dependency on the United States. Ottawa has prepared multiple op- tions for retaliatory tariffs, depending on what Trump ultimately does. Tru- deau has said repeatedly every option is on the table. Premiers have largely claimed a united front but continue to share dif- fering opinions on just how exactly Canada should respond. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called for the federal government to appoint a “border czar.” Quebec Pre- mier François Legault said it’s import- ant to secure the border followed by a quick move to negotiations with Amer- icans to appease Trump’s other eco- nomic concerns. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe cautioned against including oil and pot- ash in any retaliatory measures, while Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said if duties are applied, Canada’s response has to be noticed. “We can’t be a punching bag,” Kinew said. In his first official campaign event since dissolving the provincial legisla- ture the day before, Ontario Progres- sive Conservative Leader Doug Ford said Trump’s duties are “a game to the president.” “He seeks to divide and conquer, whether he imposes tariffs next week, next month or waits another year or more,” he said. “Trump’s threats are not going away.” — The Canadian Press H EALTH Minister Uzoma Asag- wara has ordered a regional health authority in western Manitoba to cut its spending on private agency nurses by 15 per cent before March 2026. The directive to Prairie Mountain Health, which recently has spent far more on agency nurses than any other RHA, is part of the government’s push to halt an exodus and bring employees back to the understaffed public system. “It’s about recognizing that the over- reliance and over-expenditures on for-profit, private agencies is not sus- tainable,” Asagwara said Wednesday. “That money being spent on for-profit agencies, enriching agencies, is money that should be spent at the bedside, and should be spent on the front lines of de- livering public health care.” The minister said the directive was not issued to Manitoba’s four other RHAs, but administrators in all five understand an overreliance on agen- cies is not sustainable or fiscally re- sponsible. PMH has spent $24.5 million on pri- vate nurses (RNs and LPNs) in the first three quarters of the 2024-25 fiscal year (April 1 to March 31), a spokes- person said. The region, which includes Brandon, Neepawa and Swan River, spent $28.6 million in 2023-24 and $25.1 million in 2022-23. The second-highest spender in 2023- 24 was Northern Heath Region ($15.7 million). Prairie Mountain “supports and commends” the province’s work to re- duce reliance on agency nursing, CEO Treena Slate said in a statement. “We are working with the province on steps to ensure there will be no gaps in care as we transition from a heavy re- liance on agencies to employing enough staff to meet our needs,” she said. “We’re working diligently to reduce the use of agency staff within our oper- ations. We will strive to meet the direc- tion provided and are confident that we can assist ourselves in reducing agency use.” Asagwara said the province’s recruit- ment and retention office is working with PMH to add public system nurses. Grants and financial incentives have been offered. Spending on private nurses has con- tinued to soar since the COVID-19 pan- demic. Manitoba’s RHAs spent about $75 million on nursing agencies in the 2023- 24 fiscal year, Shared Health said. The 2022-23 total was $60 million, up from $40 million in 2021-22. In December, the NDP banned pub- lic health providers from signing new contracts with agencies amid efforts to rein in spending. The government issued a request for proposals to reduce the number of con- tracted agencies and set controls for rates. Asagwara said the province will begin reviewing and evaluating propos- als this week. The Manitoba Nurses Union, which supports efforts to scale back the use of agencies, said Prairie Mountain had a vacancy rate of 30 per cent as of October. Union president Darlene Jackson said the government’s directive to Prai- rie Mountain must come with a plan to ensure facilities are adequately staffed with public employees. “In order for that to work, they have to fund the provincial travel nurse team,” said Jackson, referring to a float pool that uses public system nurses. The government last year agreed to expand the team, which the nurses union said now has 286 nurses, with 20 more waiting to be added. A lot of those came from private agencies, said Jackson, who wants to see the total increase to 400 this year. A private agency owner said Mani- toba will continue to struggle to prop- erly staff facilities if it cuts back on private agencies. The owner, who requested anonym- ity because they fear losing contracts, said health authorities are struggling to keep open some rural or northern hos- pitals or emergency rooms that rely on agency nurses. “That’s how much trouble our prov- ince is in with regard to staff,” they said. The owner said nurses they employ don’t want to return to the public sys- tem because agency positions offer bet- ter pay and work-life balance. “They’re all very disappointed in the government, and very stressed out,” the owner said. “They will be over- worked and exhausted like before (if they return).” Asagwara blamed cuts by the former Progressive Conservative government for Prairie Mountain’s “overspending” on agencies. The minister claimed the Tories spurred a “cottage-like industry” that took resources from the public system and led to an overreliance on private nurses. The PCs rejected the claim. “It strikes me as a knee-jerk reaction in response to the realization that the NDP has spent considerably more on agency nurses in 2024 than in 2023,” Tory health critic Kathleen Cook said in response to the directive to Prairie Mountain. “Attempts to blame the previous gov- ernment are nothing more than a de- flection from the fact that after nearly a year and a half in government, the NDP still have yet to put forward a credible plan to address these issues.” The government said Manitoba had hundreds of distinct contracts with more than 70 private agencies in the past, with little to no policies to limit the agencies’ impact on public system nurses or the rates charged. Asagwara has said some charged up to six times what the public sector pays. The private agency owner who spoke anonymously disputed claims that health authorities are being over- charged. They expect some agencies will be forced to close due to govern- ment measures. “They used us when they needed us during the pandemic, and now they are kicking us to the curb when they don’t think they need us anymore,” the owner said. The Manitoba Government and Gen- eral Employees’ Union called on the province to halt the continued use of private agency health-care aides. The union has filed a grievance against Prairie Mountain. “The use has been getting greater and greater every year, and it’s public dollars being fed into a private system,” MGEU president Kyle Ross said. Asagwara said the province has had discussions about the use of private agency health-care aides. chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca TOP NEWS A3 THURSDAY JANUARY 30, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM The bottom line Spending on agency nurses by health region in Manitoba in the 2023-24 fiscal year. ● Prairie Mountain: $28.6 million ● Northern: $15.7 million ● Interlake-Eastern: $14.8 million ● Southern: $10.4 million ● Winnipeg: $5.4 million — Shared Health CHRIS KITCHING Minister directs PMH to cut private nursing cost Unions back move while agency owner says government ‘kicking us to the curb’ MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says the reliance on private agencies ‘is not sustainable.’ Remillard noted the latest pro- vincial trade update indicates about 75 per cent of interna- tional imports, the majority of which are manufacturing related, come from the U.S. That was up by $124 million or just under one per cent on a year-to-date, per 2024’s third-quarter results from the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics. The fall report showed ex- ports to the U.S. accounted for 73 per cent of all exports from the province. While Remillard said he was pleased to hear the premier is thinking about ways to support the business community, he said it will be important to provide “immediate relief” and “cer- tainty.” The chamber spokesman said scrapping the payroll tax is an option to remedy the impact of potential tariffs. Remillard added that mem- bers are concerned about any barriers to international com- merce that go against “the spirit of decades of liberalized trade.” Kinew said he reiterated that Manitoba is a partner of the fed- eral government’s in maintain- ing a strong trading relationship with the U.S., as evidenced by proactively bolstering bor- der enforcement, during the tele-huddle on Wednesday. The province is encouraging Ottawa to use its tools, includ- ing a treasury that is far more “weighty” than Manitoba’s, to support Canadians, he said. The premier’s office is scheduling meetings with First Nations leaders and the Manito- ba Métis Federation to discuss their pressing trade-related concerns in the coming weeks. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca TARIFFS ● FROM A1 MANUEL BALCE CENETA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is greeted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department in Washington. Tariff threat could be just the beginning KELLY GERALDINE MALONE Joly meets with U.S. counterpart ;