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 is in Texas this week, meeting with businesses and American lawmakers to shore up support for local industries and advocate against U.S. tariffs, ahead of crucial trade talks between Canada and the U.S.
Mr. Ford, who frequently appears on U.S. TV networks to criticize tariffs and President Donald Trump, arrived in Houston on Tuesday. He is scheduled to make stops in Dallas on Wednesday and Austin on Thursday, where he will meet with industry representatives from sectors such as information technology, automotive manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.
He is also set to meet with elected officials, including Republican members of Congress and state legislators, according to his office.
Opposition parties, however, say Mr. Ford should focus on the problems in his own province. They argue his interventions are ineffective at stopping tariffs and may even be harmful to the Canada-U.S. relationship.
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Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said 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.”
Mr. Ford, who last year spearheaded a group representing Canada’s premiers, cast himself as a “Captain Canada” figure as the federal Liberals were plunged into disarray after former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation.
Mr. Ford won a third majority last year under the slogan “Protect Ontario,” which earned him praise in some circles for standing up to Mr. 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 U.S. President Ronald Reagan – a move Mr. Trump cited as his reason for cancelling trade talks with Canada last fall.
Mr. Ford’s office defended the trip.
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Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for the Premier, said he will promote the idea of a “Fortress Am Can,” a term for closer economic co-operation between the U.S. and Canada. The trip comes at a critical time, as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares for a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA – sometimes also called CUSMA in Canada.
“In the face of economic uncertainty, Premier Ford is continuing to stand up for workers, businesses, and communities by advocating for tariff-free trade to protect Ontario-Texas trade directly to lawmakers, while sharing his vision of Fortress Am Can, as he has for the last year, in the lead-up to the renegotiation of CUSMA,” she said in a statement.
“Texas and Ontario have a long-standing trade relationship that benefits families, workers, and businesses on both sides of the border,” she added, noting that Ontario’s trade with Texas makes up nearly 50 per cent of Canada’s total trade with the state.
Ms. Jensen said the Premier will also meet with industry partners, “encouraging them to invest in Ontario to create more good-paying jobs.”
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.
He said if the Premier was truly worried about trade with the U.S. he would focus on diversifying the economy with trips to China or India. He said Mr. Ford has had months to travel while the legislature was not in session.
“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.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner also said the Premier should be looking at ways to help his own residents.
“How can we support local businesses here? How can we make the investments in health care and education that are going to strengthen our economy and improve lives?” he said. “The Premier is missing in action on all those issues.”