The threat of new tariffs from the U.S. was the main focus on Day 13 of the provincial election campaign.
PC leader Doug Ford says it is something he has been warning about during the campaign.
“I’ve been saying it. We’re going to face this for four years. Shifting goal posts constantly and constant chaos, all designed to hurt our economy and undermine our workers,” says Ford.
Ford says it means making an even stronger case to the Trump Administration that the true threat to its economy is China, not Canada.
Ford announced measures his government would take to protect Ontario’s interests from China.
“A re-elected PC government will ban Chinese parts from all future energy procurement. We will ban Chinese state-owned enterprises from buying or taking equity in any Ontario government-funded energy and critical mineral projects or any major infrastructure assets,” says Ford.
NDP leader Marit Stiles says the steelworkers’ union reminds voters that Ontario experienced similar tariffs against the steel industry by Trump in 2018, and Ford left it to the federal government to tackle.
Stiles says we were warned this time.
“Donald Trump, he laid it all out in the last in his election, and Doug Ford has said that he 100% supported him through that election,” says Stiles.
“So, I don’t think we can trust Doug Ford to stand up for Ontarians and to protect all our jobs and defend our workers and our communities.”
Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie supports a Team Canada approach to dealing with the trade threats.
She supports the need for a more diversified economy.
“I would have protected our economy. I would have brought more investment into our economy, diversified our trade, diversified our trading partners, diversified our economy, not just put all our eggs into the one EV (electric vehicles) basket,” says Crombie.
The provincial election is on February 27th.
