EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is defending his government's decision to enter into a $100-million deal with Elon Musk's Starlink — but didn't rule out cancelling it as the province fights the threat of U.S. tariffs.
The premier was asked about the deal at a press conference Friday because the Ontario Liberal Party has called on him to cancel it to stand up to United States President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs, as Musk is a key Trump adviser.
Asked about that, Ford replied that he'd "keep an eye on that."
The Liberals are also circulating a petition calling on the province to cancel the deal, complete with a picture of Musk making a gesture on stage during a Trump inauguration event that resembled a Nazi salute.
"Why did Doug cozy up to Elon in the first place? This is a destructive man child who proudly styles his leadership after a dictator, and is championing the 25 per cent tariff on Canada," said leader Bonnie Crombie in a statement.
Ford shot back, saying it's "ironic" that the Liberals are using Musk's X.com social media platform to get their message out.
He also defended the deal itself, which raised eyebrows when it was announced shortly after the U.S. election in November. It breaks down to $6,667 per connection and recipients will still have to pay monthly fees — while Starlink kits retail for about $500. A government spokesperson told Village Media at the time that up to $92 million of the cost will “cover capacity reservation from Starlink for Ontario, hardware and installation costs, and (an) Indigenous Engagement and Participation Plan.”
"We went out for a transparent bid. They came out (on) top. They're the largest in the entire world, as everyone knows. Other companies couldn't even handle the infrastructure, but I can assure you, we'll keep an eye on that. But we need to deliver internet as we promised," he said.
According to Infrastructure Ontario, Starlink was one of two satellite internet service providers it shortlisted in the procurement process for the project "based on technical and financial criteria identified through a request for qualifications (RFQ) process that began in August 2023."
NDP MPP France Gélinas, who represents the Nickel Belt riding in northern Ontario, denounced the government's Starlink agreement back in November.
“Am I happy we will have an option for fast internet? Yes, absolutely," Gélinas said. "Am I disappointed that taxpayer money will go to a rich for-profit corporation with no regard for the users? I am.”
The satellite internet service is due to be up and running by June 2025.
"As the first competitive process of its kind in Canada, ONSAT will leverage modern technology to provide high-speed internet access (50/10 Mbps) to unserved and underserved homes and businesses across Ontario where fibre optic or fixed wireless services are not currently available," Infrastructure Ontario said at the time.
Ford also confirmed Friday that he'll trigger an early election campaign that will begin Wednesday, putting election day on Feb. 27, 2025.
-With files from Sneh Duggal