Liberal leadership candidate Frank Baylis says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 premiers have been approaching President Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 trade threats all wrong.

The Montreal businessman said Thursday the leaders have made B次元官网网址渕istake after mistake,B次元官网网址� starting with TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 decision to rush to TrumpB次元官网网址檚 Mar-a-Lago Florida resort in November soon after he threatened Canada with tariffs.

Baylis told The Canadian Press in an interview that a government led by him would take the opposite approach. He said the only way to deal with a bully like Trump is to dig in your heels and refuse to offer him anything.

B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 fly down to his private residence when heB次元官网网址檚 not even the president. ThatB次元官网网址檚 completely acquiescent to him,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hat happened after we visited? Did he become more aggressive or less?B次元官网网址�

Ottawa produced a $1.3 billion plan to upgrade border security after Trump complained about drugs and illegal immigrants entering the United States B次元官网网址� problems the U.S. largely has with Mexico, not Canada.

But while Trump paused his initial 25 per cent tariff threat, he has not taken it off the table and has since escalated by taking aim at steel and aluminum imports.

Baylis said that while the premiers flew down B次元官网网址渆n masseB次元官网网址� to Washington earlier this month, none of them managed to get a meeting with the president or vice-president.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e missing leadership from A to Z on this and when IB次元官网网址檓 prime minister, thatB次元官网网址檚 all going to stop,B次元官网网址� he said.

Baylis said he would deal with Trump better than his opponents have, due to his strong business background and experience in negotiating contracts with Americans.

B次元官网网址淲hether we like it or not, the Americans have put as a president a highly aggressive bully of a man, whoB次元官网网址檚 a businessman,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd people coming from a genteel world of bureaucrats or banking, theyB次元官网网址檙e not going to know how to deal with this character.B次元官网网址�

The comment was a nod to the presumed front-runner in the leadership race: Mark Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor and former senior Department of Finance official.

B次元官网网址淭his is not a negotiation. This is really about a shakedown,B次元官网网址� Baylis said. B次元官网网址淭his is about intimidation and seeing how much he can continue to take for free. So unless we put a stop to that, itB次元官网网址檒l just continue.B次元官网网址�

Baylis is a longtime party activist who successfully ran in 2015 under the Liberal banner, but chose not to re-offer in 2019. He was the first candidate to announce he would run to replace Trudeau.

Baylis sold his company Baylis Medical Company Inc. to Boston Scientific Corporation in 2022 for $1.75 billion. He said he has negotiated countless times with Americans during his career.

B次元官网网址淭he Donald Trump types IB次元官网网址檝e met many times, so this is not new to me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not going to be learning on the job, and IB次元官网网址檓 not going to be spraying bullets all over the place, trying and helping and hoping.B次元官网网址�

Baylis is one of five Liberal leadership candidates who will square off in a set of televised debates in Montreal on Monday and Tuesday.

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former Liberal House leader Karina Gould and former Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla are also seeking the partyB次元官网网址檚 top job.

Freeland has centred her entire campaign on proving that sheB次元官网网址檚 the strongest fighter to take on Trump. Carney has based his campaign on his economic and business experience.

Liberals select their next leader in just over two weeks.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press