Ford’s Conservatives Secure Third Term in Ontario Amid Trade Tensions with Trump
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party) secured a decisive victory in Thursday’s provincial election, marking their third consecutive legislative majority, Al Jazeera reports.
The election campaign was heavily influenced by concerns over trade tensions with US President Donald Trump.
Ford campaigned on the promise of obtaining the “largest mandate in Ontario history” to protect the economy of Canada’s most populous province from the potential fallout of Trump’s tariffs. The PC Party secured at least 74 seats in the 124-member Legislative Assembly of Ontario, with a lead in seven other districts, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Ford, who often wore a “Canada is Not for Sale” hat and styled himself as “Captain Canada” throughout the campaign, called the election more than a year early, arguing for a stronger mandate to navigate potential economic uncertainty under Trump’s policies.
During his campaign, Ford made two trips to Washington, DC, and appeared on prominent US news networks like Fox News and CNN to lobby against tariffs and position himself as a spokesperson for Canada as a whole.
Critics questioned the timing of the election call, arguing that the federal government in Ottawa holds primary responsibility for negotiating with the Trump administration. Ford had previously stated his intention to impose a tariff on electricity exported from Ontario to the US if Trump proceeded with his trade measures, vowing to “wait to see what happens from there.”
Ontario, which surrounds Toronto and accounts for roughly 40 percent of Canada’s 40 million population, is heavily reliant on trade with the US Scotiabank analysis indicates that over 80 percent of Ontario’s exports were destined for the US in 2023, making it the province most dependent on American consumers after New Brunswick and Alberta.
Ontario’s auto industry, home to production facilities for Honda, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, was the second-largest producer globally in 2022, trailing only the US state of Michigan, according to Invest Ontario.
The province also boasts one of North America’s largest tech sectors, employing some 420,000 people across 22,000 businesses, according to the same agency.
Trump, who had initially agreed to a 30-day pause on threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico pending negotiations on border security, announced on Thursday that the 25-percent levies would take effect on March 4. He attributed the decision to the continuing flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl across the border at “unacceptable levels” and even suggested that the US could absorb Canada as its 51st state via a Truth Social post.
