Ford signals an early Ontario election is coming as Trump muses again about stiff tariffs
Premier says he needs a new mandate for economic fight ahead
Premier Doug Ford says he needs a "clear mandate" from Ontario voters to wage an economic battle against potentially devastating tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump says could come on Feb. 1.
Ford's comments to reporters Monday at Queen's Park following Trump's inauguration were the clearest indication yet he intends to call an election in the province, after months of fuelling speculation of an early vote.
"These are negotiations that are going to go on for quite some time right now. And make no mistake about it: he's coming for us," Ford said of Trump. "I need a clear mandate from the people of Ontario. Not for tomorrow, or the next day — for four years of dealing with our American friends."
Ford was speaking after Trump gave his inaugural address in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon. During the speech, Trump took aim at Mexico, saying he would declare an emergency at America's southern border. He also spoke of boosting American manufacturing, in particular building more cars.
But he did not mention Canada by name or the northern border.
It was initially expected that punishing tariffs of up to 25 per cent on Canadian and Mexican goods would be included in the dozens of executive orders Trump signed on the first day of his second term in office. While Trump initially may have delayed imposing the import levies, he mused during a news conference in the Oval Office on Monday evening they could come into effect at the start of next month.
"We're thinking in terms of 25 per cent [tariffs] on Mexico and Canada because they're allowing vast numbers of people … and fentanyl to come in," Trump said without providing any specific data.
"I think we'll do it Feb. 1," he continued in response to a question about the timing of the potential tariffs.
Ford said he is convinced Trump wants to take jobs away from Ontarians and undermine future investment in the province.
"Anything that was uncertain today just has more uncertainty. [Trump] has said he is going to be applying tariffs across the board, and I feel he is going to be targeting Canada, specifically Ontario, and it's very concerning," Ford said ahead of the president's Oval Office comments.
Ford did not answer when asked about the exact timing of an early election.The premier has said previously his government estimates U.S. tariffs could cost Ontario up to 500,000 jobs, and that a massive spending package of "tens of billions of dollars" would be necessary to support industries and workers impacted by a trade war.
Ontario's opposition parties have repeatedly said they would support emergency spending by Ford's Progressive Conservative majority. They've criticized Ford's apparent plan to take voters to the polls more than a year out from the next fixed election date, saying it would only create more political uncertainty amid turmoil on Parliament Hill. They've also pointed out there were mounting signs the premier might call an early election months before Trump threatened to impose tariffs.
Opposition leaders echoed those sentiments Monday. NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Ford "needs to focus on the 500,000 jobs at risk, not his own.
"The moment we're in calls for unity of purpose. We need to stay focused on what we can do here in Ontario to support every sector at risk and defend every single job in the face of this tariff threat," she said on X, formerly Twitter.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said Ford should "spare Ontarians the double talk.
"Complaining about Donald Trump fuelling uncertainty while refusing to rule out an early election yourself? That's the real chaos," she said in her own social media post.
LCBO will remove U.S. products if tariffs are imposed
Earlier Monday in a speech to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, Ford said removing American products from LCBO outlets would be among the provincial-level retaliatory measures he would pursue as part of a wider trade war.
"I've sent a direction to the LCBO, that if these tariffs come, to clear off every bit of U.S. alcohol off the shelves," Ford said.
Previous reports from U.S. media outlets have suggested the import levies could be rolled out in phases, so as to not spike inflation or the price of gasoline. Economists have forecast that a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian oil and gas exported to the U.S. could raise prices at the pumps there by as much as 75 cents per gallon.
Ford said in his speech the tariffs would be "disastrous for both Canadian and American workers."
For Canada's part, the federal government says it is preparing for an initial round of retaliatory tariffs on some $37 billion of goods that could be expanded depending on the Trump administration's approach.
Ford's comments Monday afternoon mark a shift in his public messaging. He's spent the last several weeks pitching his idea for "Fortress Am-Can," a renewed economic and security alliance between Canada and the U.S. that would see expanded trade in goods like energy and critical minerals.
In speeches and appearances on American cable news programs, Ford has emphasized a "better together" approach, stressing the deep economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
But he's also said he supports retaliatory trade measures at the federal level if the threatened tariffs are imposed, a move that has led to divisions between Alberta and the rest of the provinces and territories.
Ontario also sent a delegation that includes politicians, business leaders and union executives to D.C. for the inauguration with an express mission to push back on the potential tariffs.
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With files from The Canadian Press