EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park.
On the eve of what White House officials say will be the imposition of tariffs on Canada, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford said the federal government has his "full support to hit back and hit back hard," and he is promising billions in infrastructure funding to help create jobs.
"If tariffs do, in fact, come tomorrow, the federal government needs to be ready to immediately implement a strong and forceful response — dollar-for-dollar, tariff-for-tariff," Ford said during a press conference in Niagara Falls on Friday afternoon. "The federal government has my full support to hit back and hit back hard."
Ford continued to focus on U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threat for the third day straight of the election campaign. He justified his decision to call an election by saying he needs a "stronger mandate" to tackle a potential trade war with Canada's southern neighbour.
"Canada has so much of what America needs, what their military and economy depend on — high-grade nickel and other critical minerals, energy and electricity, uranium, potash," he continued. "If President Trump proceeds with these tariffs, Canada can and should make him regret them."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on social media Friday that if tariffs are imposed, "Canada's ready with a forceful and immediate response."
Ford called retaliatory tariffs from the federal government the "tip of the spear."
"If this fight lasts, if the U.S. doesn't see reason, Ontario is prepared to support and use every tool in our tool kit to win this fight," he said.
Ford pitched his party's plan as one that would "protect Ontario workers," saying if re-elected, he'd "ramp up our plan to build" by investing more and faster.
He announced another $22 billion in infrastructure funding, including $15 billion over three years to "speed up" projects such as the widening of the QEW between Burlington and St. Catharines, another $5 billion for the Building Ontario Fund to invest in energy, long-term care, housing, transportation and municipal infrastructure projects, an additional $2 billion for the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and another $300 million to build more community infrastructure such as sports centres and arenas.
"When President Trump expects us to back down, we're going to double down — we're going to fight back by building back however long it takes," Ford said.
Earlier on Friday, Reuters reported sources claiming that Trump would impose the tariffs on Canada starting on March 1, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the report "false."
"I was just with the president in the Oval Office, and I can confirm that ... the president will be implementing, tomorrow, 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico, 25 per cent tariffs on Canada, and a 10 per cent tariff on China for the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country," Leavitt told reporters.
Asked if Ontario would respond to the tariffs come Feb. 1, or whether a provincial response would follow a federal one, Ford said his government provided Ottawa with its list for retaliatory tariffs and that it was important to "stay united."
The PC leader was also asked when he'd release the economic action plan to deal with the tariffs that he said earlier this week his cabinet had approved.
"We can't determine who needs the money until we see the tariffs, it could be one sector versus the other sector," he said.
While NDP Leader Marit Stiles has promised an income protection plan to support workers, Ford said income supports would likely come through the federal government and that his focus would be on "supporting people's jobs (so) they can bring home a paycheque (and) supporting industries."
Ford has previously said that Ontario could lose up to 500,000 jobs if Trump slaps a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports to the U.S.
The NDP, Liberals and Greens have criticized Ford for calling an early election in the face of Trump's tariff threat, saying his primary focus should be on fighting back.
Stiles continued with that message on Friday.
"Doug Ford quit his job on the eve of these tariffs to try and secure himself a third term. And the situation is getting more serious each day," she said in a statement on Friday afternoon. "Ontario desperately needs a leader with better judgment in the face of Trump’s tariffs."
She said the key was working together to "levy a smart, tough tariff response that hits back hard."
"We cannot let Trump divide us within Canada, or across the world. We’re stronger together. That is how we win this fight," she added.
Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie campaigned in Toronto Friday and promised measures to increase safety on public transit. She has previously said she would be a "team player" with the rest of the country concerning the tariff threat and would have diversified Ontario's economy more than Ford has, so that it would be more resilient to the economic impact of tariffs.
-With files from Jessica Smith Cross
