LILLEY: Ford takes on Captain Canada role in trade talks with Trump

Article content

Doug Ford has dusted off his Captain Canada cape and is ready to lead the nation in any looming trade war with the incoming Trump administration. Ontario’s premier stepped out of his Queen’s Park office on Wednesday to tell reporters that he has spoken to premiers across the country and they are unanimous in wanting to cut Mexico out of NAFTA to protect Canadian jobs.

Ford is currently chairing the Council of the Federation, the organization that represents provincial governments in negotiations with Ottawa. He said that premiers would be meeting in Toronto in December and heading as a group to Washington in February or March after the new Trump administration is sworn in.

“It’s all about Team Canada. We’re going to take that approach,” Ford said. “And you know, we’re, we’re going to sit down and have a great strategy moving forward.”

Concerns about Mexico have been bubbling to the surface over the last year and have been expressed by the Biden administration as well as top Republicans tied to the Trump team. Chinese investments in Mexico and exports to the United States through Mexico have become a trade irritant, to put it in mild terms.

That has led to questions about the future of NAFTA, which, if it were dissolved, could threaten Canadian jobs. Just after the election of Donald Trump, Ford stepped forward to voice the idea that Mexico be kicked out of NAFTA if they won’t play by the rules.

It’s a theme he returned to again on Wednesday.

“We know Mexico is bringing in cheap Chinese parts, slapping a ‘Made in Mexico’ sticker on, and shipping it up through the U.S. and Canada, causing American jobs to be lost and Canadian jobs. We want fair trade,” Ford said.

This is the type of message that should be coming from our Prime Minister, but Justin Trudeau is exactly the wrong person to be dealing with the incoming Trump administration. Trudeau has beaten Trump like a piñata for the last year as he tried to score political points, in vain, against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Still, the Trudeau government is trying to show that they are engaging. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly will hold a press conference in Washington on Thursday after a series of meetings in the American capital.

“The Minister will discuss her visit to Washington D.C. during which she will have met with U.S. leaders, including Republican and Democratic senators, to discuss trade, investment, and security. She will have also participated in a round-table discussion on Arctic security with stakeholders and experts in the field,” the news release read.

The Trudeau government would be wise to lean on Ford in dealing with the incoming Trump administration. Trump and Trudeau don’t see eye to eye and Trump will no doubt know that Trudeau is in effect a lame duck leader on his way out.

Ford, on the other hand, is two years into his current mandate and would no doubt win another majority if an election were held today.

In dealing with Trump, Ford is in a stronger position than Trudeau and represents the province that would be the third largest trading partner of the Americans if Ontario were its own country. It’s also doubtful that Trudeau will have the backing of the federal Conservatives heading into any trade battle with Trump the way they did in 2017.

In essence, Trudeau has burned a lot of bridges both with the Trump team and those who could help him deal with them upon their return to power. That means Trudeau needs Ford, or someone like him to step forward and act as a buffer or go between in any trade talks, at least until Trudeau is replaced in the next election.

So, until that happens, expect to see Doug Ford taking centre stage in dealings with Washington.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video