The Leader of the federal NDP made the rounds in Windsor-Essex over the weekend.
Where-ever Jagmeet Singh went the conversation with workers and business owners turned to the current US trade tariffs, and how Canada's retaliation could play out for an area that depends on crossborder commerce.
Singh tells AM800 News Windsor-Essex has been thriving, but there is a "genuine fear" an all-out tariff war could do some serious damage to industry.
"Got to make sure that translates to good opportunities for people, but given the fact there's been a good recovery here in Windsor, we don't want to see these tariffs negatively impact that recovery we're seeing and that's a legitimate fear," he says.
He tells AM800 News he's not completely unhappy with how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has handled the mercurial U.S. President Donald Trump.
Singh personally pledge the NDP's support for retaliatory tariffs during a phone call with Trudeau, but still has some questions.
"One, what are the protections in place for workers and secondly the delay with the retaliatory measures, it didn't seem to make any sense," says Singh. "The steel sector said 'if we're going to put those measures forward it needs to be done immediately' that was a concern but I see how it's a difficult position to be in and it's hard to say what the right thing is to do."
He's seen some provinces provide ideas, but he wants the federal government to step up with a plan to protect businesses and their employees if things get worse.
"What are some of those strategies that the government do in terms of working with industry, working with labour, and saying what is a package that would actually help people out if they are going to be negatively impacted," he says.