Ontario's 'Captain Canada' calls snap election as Trump tariff threat looms
2025-01-29
Category: news

The leader of Canada's most populous province has triggered a snap election, saying he needs a decisive mandate to fight Donald Trump's tariff threat.Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has led the province for more than seven years, has emerged as a de-facto spokesperson for Canada in the tariff fight after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would step down in March. The early election call is a sign of how the new US president has upended politics in the country. The provincial campaign comes more than a year before the date required by law, with Ford citing the need for voters to give him another majority to "outlast" President Trump."This is gonna be a battle for the next four years," he said. Trump has said he is considering 25% sweeping levies on Canadian goods, which could come as early as Saturday. Earlier this month, Ford appeared at a press conference wearing a hard-to-miss baseball cap emblazoned with the words "Canada Is Not for Sale".The cap's catchphrase was inspired by a line the premier uttered on Fox News as he made the rounds on US networks to defend Canada's interests in the possible coming trade war. His message resonated north of the border, earning him the nickname "Captain Canada" from columnists and pundits.The cap went viral after Ford wore it, with C$20,000 ($13,900; £11,100) worth of stock selling in less than two hours, according to broadcaster Radio-Canada. But Ford is facing criticism for the election call by those who worry he is throwing Ontario into an expensive campaign even as it faces the threat of costly tariffs. The premier is also facing questions from opponents over the politics of the early vote. His Progressive Conservative government has been embroiled in several controversies, including an ongoing criminal investigation into a deal to sell a piece of environmentally protected land for real estate development.Ford's election decision is an example of how Trump has affected Canadian politics, said media commentator and law professor Errol Mendes, with the University of Ottawa.The tariffs expected to have a devastating impact on the Canada's trade-dependent economy. The US is its largest trading partner. Canada offers to help Trump as it scrambles to avert tariff warCanada’s oil patch rattled by Trump's tariff threatCo-operate or else: Trump's Colombia face-off is warning to all leaders
Prof Mendes told the BBC that the tariffs have shifted the calculus for Canadian politicians at all levels of government, from provincial premiers like Ford to those jockeying to replace Trudeau as federal Liberal leader. In that leadership race, front-runners Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney have each focused on how they would respond to Trump's tariffs.Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the federal Conservatives whose message has centered mostly on domestic issues, has been pushed to provide his own plan for how he would deal with Trump."The whole Trump thing has completely shaken up" political strategy in Canada, Prof Mendes said.For Ford, it has been an opportunity to be at the forefront of a critical national conversation, especially amid political chaos in Ottawa following Trudeau's decision to resign. His province stands to suffer significantly if the tariffs materialise. Ontario's economy is the largest in Canada, making up about 38% of the country's GDP, and has a significant automotive sector that is deeply integrated with the US.Ford has suggested that 500,000 of Ontario's 14.2 million people could lose their jobs if the US follows through in the blanket tariffs. The premier is known for his folksy, straight-talking style - one that has become synonymous with his family name and popularised by his late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. "You can't let someone hit you over the head with a sledgehammer without hitting them back twice as hard, in my opinion," he stated earlier this month.He has called for a strong retaliation to any sweeping tariffs, suggesting that Canada cut off energy supply to the US and calling for provincial liquor stores to pull American booze off their shelves.In the same breath, he has proposed the idea of "Fortress Am-Can" - a catchy slogan to sell Trump on a stronger energy alliance between the two countries.
By calling an election in his province early, Prof Mendes said Ford is playing several games of political chess as he seeks to solidify his position both in Ontario and as a voice for Canada. Prof Mendes said Ford has so far succeeded in drawing US attention to his message, more so than other premiers and Trudeau.He is expected to lead a delegation of Canadian premiers to meet US lawmakers in Washington DC twice next month. Domestically, however, he still faces significant challenges, primarily the ongoing  investigation into his government's land dealings."Now is the time (for Ford) to get the election done and get his massive new majority to weather that storm, whenever it happens," Prof Mendes said.An election could also secure him another term before the possible US tariffs take a bite out of the provincial economy.  Despite the controversies, Ford has maintained a stronghold in Ontario. He has won a majority twice, and polls so far indicate he is headed for a third.He said Ford has proven himself to be a political survivor by communicating effectively with a working-class base, much like Trump. "He is connecting in terms of being able to fight, and fight fiercely for Canada," he said. 