N.S. government says U.S. tariff threat wake-up call as legislature opens – Halifax [Video]

The looming threat of tariffs by the United States is a “wake-up call” for the Nova Scotia economy, the provincial government said Friday in a throne speech to open a new sitting of the legislature.

The Progressive Conservative government’s speech was read by Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage — his first since being installed in December.

“If we want to be ready to face tariffs or any future economic threat, we need to build an economy that is independent, resilient and resource focused,” the government said in the speech.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods in March, and Premier Tim Houston has warned that such a move would threaten jobs in the agriculture, fishery and manufacturing sectors.

In the throne speech, the government signalled it is ready to go all in on resource exploitation to help spur economic growth. In particular, the Tories …