Convening other border-city mayors as a group to offer advice as Canada grapples with tariff threats, amid border security concerns from the United States, is still in the cards, but will likely have to wait a few months, Sarnia’s mayor says.
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“We’ll wait for the new (Liberal Party) leader,” said Mike Bradley about talks with municipal leaders in places such as Niagara Falls and Cornwall to meet as a group and advise federal decision-makers about border matters, much like they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bradley made a pitch to then-Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc in December for more border security spending in Sarniaincluding reviving an RCMP office that was closed in 2019.
Bradley in that Dec. 4 letter also offered for border-city mayors to give federal officials advice as Canada considers how to respond to US president-elect Donald Trump’s concerns about the movement of migrants and illegal drugs into the US
While Justin Trudeau announced Monday he’ll step down as prime minister after a new Liberal Party leader is selected – Parliament is prorogued in the meantime until March 24, killing all government bills, including for more border spending – that plan is still in the works , Bradley said.
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But “I’ll probably slow it down a bit,” he said.
“What’s the point in talking when we don’t know who’s going to be the prime minister for probably a brief period of time.”
Bradley’s comments came at and after his annual state of the city address to local Golden K Kiwanians Tuesday.
Among the questions, a club member asked what Sarnia can do to prepare for Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20, and border matters such as increased immigration that may result.
Bradley talked about the mayor advisory panel plan, noting hopes are to have border-city mayors “on the front line” from across Canada participate. The group that advised federal ministers during the COVID-19 pandemic included mayors just from Ontario, he said.
Concerns exist that retaliation in a tariff war prompting Trump to cut off energy supply via Enbridge’s Line 5 which supports thousands of jobs on both sides of the border, Bradley said.
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“It’s going to be a wild ride,” he said.
Border-city mayors understand what goes on in border cities, he said.
“Listen to us,” he said. “We can give you some pretty good advice for free.”
The long-time mayor who said he’s non-partisan and gave up his Liberal Party membership in 1988 also criticized the timing of Trudeau’s announcement.
“This is just the worst possible timing,” he said, arguing Trudeau agreeing to step down earlier would have given more time for a leadership race, and given Canada more solid footing with the US administration change looming.
“We’ll get through it, but we’ve left ourselves open to some major, major issues,” Bradley said.
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