As U.S. President Donald Trump Monday confirmed that tariffs would be going ahead, a senior cabinet minister says that B.C. is prepared.

"We are preparing for what the response could be," B.C.'s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said Monday afternoon. "We are supporting a Team Canada approach, but we have looked at measures that we can do here in British Columbia, above and beyond, what Canada will do and we are looking at how we can both strengthen and diversify our local economies."

These comments come after tariffs returned to the forefront of debate in the legislature.

Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad Monday morning proposed that B.C. charge the carbon tax on 18 million tons of thermal coal from Wyoming and Montana, moving annually through provincial harbours on their way to global destinations.

"That carbon tax would start off relatively small and would scale up over the years," Rustad said. "All of that should then go into a trust, as opposed to government revenue." 

Rustad added that government would hold that money escrow as leverage against the United States until the conclusion of a softwood lumber agreement. The money would be used as leverage to get the United States to the table, he said.

"There (are) more than $10 billion that are currently sitting in a trust that because of softwood lumber duties," Rustad said.

Rustad returned to the issue during Question Period when he asked Premier David Eby whether government would implement such a measure.

"It's time to rake the Americans over the coals and deal with this issue," Rustad said. "This is why we are asking for this carbon tax (on American thermal-coal) to be put in place. We need to be able to have leverage to deal with the Americans to get a softwood lumber agreement." 

Eby said Rustad's proposal faces major challenges because it would stray into federal powers to regulate export industries.

"If it were easy to do, absolutely, we would do it," Eby said. "We are looking for every possible way."

Eby said he would be happy to work with Rustad to find ways to retaliate against unfair tariffs against Canadian.

"(We've) got to stand up for B.C. businesses, including in the forestry sector," Eby said. "(Honestly), it is a relief to hear him talk about retaliation, because this (legislature) needs to be united to face this unprecedented threat."

Rustad said during Question Period that the the issues facing the forestry sector predate the tariff threats.

"We need plans, not rhetoric. Our Conservative Party has put forward plans to eliminate the job-killing carbon tax, not just the consumer (portion), but all of it, because it makes us uncompetitive," he said. "We put a plan forward to open our mines, to export our natural gas ... to make sure that British Columbia can remain strong. The Americans have postured about Canada becoming the 51st state. I can tell you, Premier, not on my watch."

Rustad said earlier that he had never opposed retaliation. B.C. should be addressing the flow of fentanyl, he said. "We should protect our ports," he said. "We should be protecting our borders. These are the first steps that we should have been doing, not talking about retaliatory tariffs."  

This back-and-forth between Eby and Rustad mirrored an earlier debate in the morning when MLAs debated a private member's motion by New Democrat Jennifer Blatherwick, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville.

The motion tabled during private member's time calls on the legislature to condemn proposed tariffs as U.S. President Donald Trump "as wrong and unjustified" measures that threatens Canadian sovereignty.

The motion also called on MLAs to endorse the so-called "Team Canada" plan to respond to future tariffs with "proportionate retaliatory action," including strategically targeting industries and regions such as products from Republican states, to maximize pressure to deter President Trump from implementing or continuing tariffs.

Blatherwick framed the motion as a signal of unity and as "a proportionate, well-considered action in response to an unjustified threat" in calling on all MLAs to support motion. "(We) don't want to unilaterally punish the American people, many of whom do not support the tariffs," she said. "(The) goal is to show that there is a result to choices that hurt people. There is no freedom from consequences." 

The subsequent debate unfolded along party lines with New Democrats warning that the tariffs would hurt residents on both sides of the border. They accompanied these warnings with more general statements that Canada would never become the 51st state.

Conservatives echoed such general statements about the future of B.C. and defended themselves against the implication that were not part of Canada's collective response. Several like Harman Bhangu, MLA for Langley-Abbotsford, argued that New Democrats were using the motion as a distraction from their own record in managing provincial resource industries. 

"While I understand the sentiment behind this motion, we must recognize that it ultimately is a distraction from the pressing issues that British Columbians face every day," Bhangu said. "In fact, this motion doesn't create one job, any real solutions to the challenges we are grappling with in our province. Instead, it appears to be a politically motivated attempt to divide our economy while this province continues to struggle."

Others such as Trevor Halford, Surrey-White Rock, questioned whether government had truly prepared B.C. for what lies ahead. "I don't think anyone wants to see punitive tariffs put forward," Halford said. "Now, when we talk about the issues out in front of us, one of the biggest challenges that I see is how unprepared we are economically for what lies in front of us now," he added. "These are scary times."

In the end, the debate covered familiar ground and assumed an almost performative tone when Blatherwick countered a Diefenbaker quote about the nature of Canadian freedom cited by Conservative Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission, with a quote from Winston Churchill. "In a position where an aggressor is pursuing you, an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last," she said, quoting Churchill. 

Kahlon defended the motion brought forward by Blatherwick. "Having everyone in the legislature agree that we have to stand united to respond is actually what we should be doing in this place," he said. "We should be showing unity. We should be showing strength. This is not time to be (indecisive.) This is not the time to be saying, 'may be, we will do this.'"

In the end, 86 MLAs voted in favour with five Conservatives -- Tara Armstrong (Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream), Dallas Brodie (Vancouver-Quilchena), Brent Chapman (Surrey-South), Jordan Kealy (Peace River-North) and Heather Maahs (Chilliwack-North) -- voting against the motion. 

Kealy had warned during the preceding debate that B.C. should avoid at all costs engaging in a tariff trade war, especially against an ally. "Is this a war on tariffs and the economy, or is it a war of political polarization?" he asked. "We need to focus on the well-being of British Columbians and not compare which leader has the biggest stick."

He added that B.C. needs fiscal responsibility. "I became a politician to best serve my region, and I'm not here to play games and waste time. My constituents need help, and they need it now. Banning Kentucky bourbon is ridiculous, and we will see possible retaliation, like a John Deere tractor double in price for farmers. How many businesses are going to go bankrupt when that kind of vengeance happens?"