As U.S. auto tariffs rolled out against Canada Thursday, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to axe GST off the sale of new cars made in Canada.

Speaking in Kingston, Ont. Thursday (April 3), Poilievre also vowed to create a "Keep Canadians Working Fund," a temporary loan and credit program aimed at protecting auto worker jobs and others impacted by Trump tariffs. 

Poilievre said removing the tax will boost the sale of new Canadian-made cars, supporting the country's auto industry and protecting workers' jobs. 

鈥淚n addition to unfair and counterproductive tariffs on our aluminum and steel, President (Donald) Trump is now going after our auto workers. The president is betraying America鈥檚 closest friend and attacking our economy, proving once again that Canada must end its era of over-dependence and weakness,鈥� Poilievre said. 

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh unveiled his party's plan Thursday to stand with auto workers. The three-point plan includes meaningfully improving employment insurance, building infrastructure to keep people working and protecting people and jobs. 

On March 26, Trump signed an executive order for 25-per-cent tariffs against Canada's auto industry. The tariff was applied to imported passenger vehicles, light trucks, and key automobile parts, such a engines, transmissions, powertrain parts, and electrical components. There is also an option to expand the tariffs to additional parts, "if necessary."

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada's own countermeasures on Thursday, following Trump's "Liberation Day" to announce tariffs against countries around the world. 

Canada will be , Carney said, with 25-per-cent tariffs on all vehicles imported from the U.S. that are not compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. However, he said that unlike the U.S. it will not affect auto parts "because we know the benefits of our integrated production system" and it will also not affect vehicle content from Mexico, "who is respecting the CUSMA agreement."