Ontario Premier Doug Ford is in Texas this week to advocate against U.S. tariffs, but opposition leaders say his efforts undermine the Canada-U.S. relationship.Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he’s heard love for Canada on his trip to Texas this week, where he is meeting with businesses and American lawmakers to shore up support for his province’s industries and advocate against tariffs.
The trip is taking place as crucial trade talks between Canada and the U.S. get under way. In an interview in Dallas on Wednesday, the Premier said his meetings have so far been “very positive, very friendly, very welcoming,” and he’s hearing a renewed interest in investing in Ontario and the country.
“Everyone tells us they love Canadians – and it’s a big Ronald Reagan and George [W.] Bush state, too,” Mr. Ford said, referring to the two former U.S. presidents.
The Premier is on a three-day trip to Texas that has included stops in Houston and Dallas, with more meetings scheduled on Thursday in Austin. The meetings have included Waste Management, Westlake Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, McKesson and Toyota. He has also met with Republican representatives, including U.S. Congressman Roger Williams. A planned meeting with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, however, is currently in limbo.
Opposition parties, however, say Mr. Ford should focus on the problems in his own province. They argue that his interventions are ineffective at stopping tariffs and may even be harmful to the Canada-U.S. relationship.
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Mr. Ford on Wednesday defended the trip, saying it’s crucial to meet face to face with businesses to expand opportunities.
“You want to grow a province, a country – you have to travel,” he said.
“I encourage, even the Prime Minister – it’s about building relationships.”
So far in his meetings, Mr. Ford said no one has defended tariffs, although affordability has been a key focus.
He is also promoting the idea of a “Fortress Am-Can,” a term for closer economic co-operation between the U.S. and Canada, as a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement unfolds.
Mr. Ford, who last year spearheaded a group representing Canada’s premiers, has cast himself as a “Captain Canada” figure as the federal Liberals were plunged into disarray after then-prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation.
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He won a third majority last year under the slogan “Protect Ontario,” which earned him praise in some circles for standing up to Donald Trump, but was viewed by others as overstepping his bounds by interfering in federal matters.
Once a supporter of the U.S. President, Mr. Ford has become an outspoken critic of the White House, even threatening to cut off electricity to northern states as a result of the trade war. But he backed down when Mr. Trump threatened further retaliation.
At one point, Mr. Ford launched his own anti-tariff ad campaign, featuring the late Mr. Reagan − a move Mr. Trump cited as his reason for cancelling trade talks with Canada last fall.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said this week that Mr. Ford likes to “cosplay Captain Canada,” but refuses to deal with issues at home, including changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program that have sparked outcry.
She said the Premier’s outreach to the U.S. hasn’t been helpful.
“So far, nothing that the Premier has done has done anything but probably undermine our efforts,” she told reporters at Queen’s Park.
“This is supposed to be a Team Canada approach, and I worry a lot about the Premier being out there, you know, making his separate deals and what that means for Canada and for Ontario.”
Interim Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser also questioned the value of the trip, noting that Mr. Ford’s Progressive Conservative government returned in March from an extended, 14-week winter break.
“We’re only here for 10 weeks. We’re sitting less than we’ve sat for years. And right now, Ontarians are hurting. They’re saying, ‘What are you doing for me?’ ” Mr. Fraser said.