It’s an ad that could subtract significant money and jobs from Ontario’s economy.
That was the gist of Liberal MPP John Fraser’s verbal tirade directed at Premier Doug Ford during question period at Queen’s Park on Monday.
The ad in question, featuring audio of Ronald Reagan explaining the perils of tariffs, didn’t just raise the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump — it prompted Trump to raise existing tariffs on Canada by 10 per cent and halt the negotiations between the two nations right when they appeared to be inching towards a deal.
Premier Doug Ford ultimately agreed to pull the ad, but not until after it ran during the World Series — garnering incredible attention.
“If you watched the World Series this weekend, you learned two things,” Fraser said as he began his grilling of Ford. “It’s going to be a really hard-fought series, and you also learned how much the premier loves to spend money on television ads to make him look good.”
Ford’s office has previously told CityNews the ad cost the province $75 million.
“That’s gotta be a record,” Fraser quipped about the price tag.
Ford, however, staunchly defended the ad, which includes a 1987 radio address by Reagan warning about the economic perils of high tariffs.
“Our intention was to get the message out,” Ford responded. “It was the most successful ad in the history of North America. “We had over one billion impressions, meaning one billion views — and still counting — from around the world.
“Every outlet, small, large, medium, in the United States was talking about (it).”
Fraser said the topic of conversation should be the jobs in Ontario that the ad has jeopardized.
“Ontarians paid for those ads,” Fraser continued. “They are going to pay for them with their jobs. The premier has decided that he wants to be captain Canada and he’s going to do anything he wants.
“What did you get?” he asked rhetorically. “The talks ended, and the tariffs went up. Good job, Premier, Ontarians are paying with their jobs for what you just did.”
Ford brushed that off, suggesting that Trump was bluffing.
“The tariffs aren’t going up and they aren’t going to go up, we want zero tariffs and that’s what I’m fighting for.”
“What it did do was create a conversation with every republican, democrat, governor, congressperson and senator; that’s what it created.”
Carney weighs in on derailed negotiations
Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, has come forward saying a trade deal was close with the United States before Trump’s anger over the Reagan ad derailed things.
“We stand by the progress that has been made, the government of Canada does, and we are ready, when appropriate, to pick that up,” Prime Minister Carney said while speaking to reporters at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia.
He added that he hasn’t spoken to Trump since he called off the talks last Thursday.
Despite the setback, Prime Minister Carney kept it cool.
“In any complicated, high-stakes negotiation, you can get unexpected twists and turns, and you have to keep your cool during those situations. It doesn’t pay to be upset,” he said.
With files from The Canadian Press