Jason Kenney says oil needs to be on the table in U.S. tariff war

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney has criticized the province's decision to exclude oil and gas from the response to U.S. tariffs, arguing that Canada should be utilizing all available economic tools. Kenney believes this approach would be "extremely sensitive" to Americans who rely on oil for their vehicles and fertilizers. He stated that escalating the conflict through export taxes could backfire and harm the American economy in the lead-up to the mid-term elections.

Meanwhile, Alberta's opposition leader Naheed Nenshi accused Premier Danielle Smith of playing into Donald Trump's hands by publicly dismissing the idea of imposing export taxes on oil and gas. Smith's government has announced retaliatory tariffs on approximately $28 billion worth of U.S. imports, with Premier Smith maintaining that cutting off energy exports would hurt Canadians and deprive the country of much-needed revenue.