OPINION: The Hypocrisy of Tariffs vs. COVID Mandates

How Politicians Shift Their Principles Based on Popularity, Not Integrity

By: Dave Lewington

The outrage from politicians over the so-called "Trump Tariffs" is deeply hypocritical, yet the mainstream media and political figures seem to be ignoring this contradiction.

Many politicians are now acting as if they are personally insulted on behalf of Canadians, using tough rhetoric about standing up for citizens. They declare, "We won’t take this!" and ensure we know just how patriotic they are. They insist they would never allow Canadians to be harmed by the policies of the big, bad Donald Trump. They frame tariffs on certain industries as an attack on all Canadians, vowing they won’t stand for it.

Yet not long ago, these same politicians implemented policies that were far more harmful to a subset of Canadian citizens. COVID-19 mandates were significantly harsher on Canadian businesses and workers than Trump’s tariffs could ever be. These politicians themselves attacked livelihoods, shutting down businesses and declaring certain jobs "non-essential," preventing many from working altogether.

I disagree with Trump’s tariffs. I believe tariffs are counterproductive and ultimately hurt everyday citizens. Government interventions like these usually do more harm than good.

However, a 25% tariff on goods doesn’t compare to firing someone for choosing not to get vaccinated. It doesn’t compare to deeming a person’s job unworthy of existence. Which is worse—a 10% or 25% tax on certain products or a 100% tax on a citizen’s paycheck? Because that’s exactly what COVID-19 mandates did: they "tariffed" entire paychecks at 100% by preventing people from earning a living.

Where were these outraged politicians when Canadians lost their incomes entirely? Oh, that’s right—many of them were the ones enforcing these policies. Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau, both in power at the time, imposed these "100% COVID tariffs" on Canadian paychecks. They were the ones playing the role of "Donald Trump, the bad guy." Locally, Marc Serré endorsed these extreme measures against his own constituents. Yet now, he wants you to believe he’s fighting for you against the Trump tariffs. The reality is that Marc Serré’s actions were far more damaging to Canadians than anything Trump has done with tariffs.

This blatant hypocrisy highlights a bigger problem: a lack of political leaders with integrity and principle. Too many politicians make decisions based on popularity rather than on what is right, and this is harmful to our country. As citizens, we must recognize this hypocrisy and demand better from our leaders.

By pointing this out, I hope more people will see through the political theater and vote differently in the next election. We must vote with integrity and principle rather than simply following what is popular. Our voting decisions should be guided by rational thought and morality, not the theatre of political trends.

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