Ontario party leaders unveil strategies as U.S. tariff threats loom
While President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have been delayed for at least 30 days, some major party leaders in Ontario have already been strategizing on how they would address the tariffs. CBC’s Shawn Jeffords has the latest details.
The latest
Trudeau, Trump reach agreement that will see Canada appoint fentanyl ‘czar,’ designate Mexican cartels as terroristsDeal puts 25% tariffs on hold for at least 30 daysFord says Ontario continues to ‘stare down the threat of tariffs’Updates
February 3
13 hours ago
Ontario will vote before next tariff deadline
John Rieti
It’s been a day, voters.
To recap the news, Canada and the U.S. have agreed to a 30-day reprieve on the tariff front, following a day that saw all four major Ontario political parties outline their plan to get the province through the economic turbulence.
Ontarians will now go to the polls before the next tariff deadline. That means the party we vote for will be the one that deals with the potential crisis the tariffs would present.
But, of course, there’s so much more at stake. Make sure to let us know what matters most to you in this election, and if you have a politics question please email us at Ask@cbc.ca.
13 hours ago
Video catches PC Leader Doug Ford saying he was happy Trump won election, until the tariff threat
John Rieti
Trump ‘pulled out the knife and f–king yanked it in us,’ Ford says
After speaking to reporters on Monday, PC Party Leader Doug Ford said he was initially “happy” Donald Trump won the U.S. election until he threatened Canada with hefty tariffs.
Video has emerged from the moments after PC Leader Doug Ford spoke at a news conference Monday that includes him making a profane remark about U.S. President Donald Trump.
“But yeah,” he tells a group, “Election day, was I happy this guy won? One hundred per cent. But then the guy pulled out the knife and f**king yanked it into us.”
You can see the clip for yourself in the player above.
Trump didn’t threaten Canada with 25 per cent tariffs until weeks after his election win – though he was outspoken about his intention to use tariffs as part of his economic policy.
Read more about this here.
13 hours ago
NDP goes after early election call
Lucas Powers
Responding to the temporary pause on tariffs, the NDP again criticized Ford for calling a snap election despite already holding a majority and said the next 30 days will be critical.
“We can’t change the fact the premier has thrown us into an election,” New Democratic Leader Marit Stiles said in a statement.
She then echoed the message her campaign seems to have settled on when it comes to tariffs: that seven years of PC governance left Ontario vulnerable to Trump’s threat.
“We need to defend every single job and be ready to fight back. We need to invest in workers, buy Ontario and help our industries find new markets, so we aren’t so vulnerable in the future.”
14 hours ago
Relief for California wine drinkers
John Rieti
Ontario’s backtrack also means U.S. products will remain on sale at the LCBO. Considering four of the top five wines sold in the province come from California, we’re guessing quite a few of you will be pleased with this.
The LCBO had planned to hold a media availability this evening about the American booze ban, but that’s been shelved.
For more on what Ontario is reversing course on, read on here.
15 hours ago
Ford hitting pause on tariff retaliation — for now
Lucas Powers
After news broke that potential U.S. tariffs would be paused for 30 days for further negotiations, Ford said he would hold off on implementing retaliatory measures.
“We have some good news today. We have temporarily averted tariffs that would have severely damaged our economy, giving time for more negotiation and time for cooler heads to prevail,” Ford said in a statement.
“With the U.S. pausing tariffs, Ontario will also pause our retaliatory measures. If President Trump proceeds with tariffs, we won’t hesitate to remove American products off LCBO shelves or ban American companies from provincial procurement,” he continued.
Ford’s office also clarified the $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink signed late last year would also go forward, for now.
Ford then reiterated that Canada and the U.S. should stay focused on “the real trade war we’re fighting, with China.”
18 hours ago
The news persists, and so do we
John Rieti
[Edit: Well, we tried to stop writing news but it keeps happening. Read above for everything that happened after 3 p.m. ET.]
Alright, voters, we’re wrapping up today’s live page. Thank you so much for reading along, and if you’re coming to this story fresh give it a scan to see how the four major parties are responding to the U.S. tariffs that are set to hit on Tuesday.
CBC News will have much more Ontario election coverage on all of our platforms on Monday and in the days leading up to the Feb. 27 vote.
We’re still hoping you’ll tell us what’s at stake for you this election by filling out our survey here.
If you have an election-related question, please email Ask@cbc.ca — we love getting you answers.
And if you have a news tip you can reach us at TOnews@cbc.ca.
18 hours ago
Elon responds to Starlink
John Rieti
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has commented on Ontario ripping up a $100 million contract with Starlink, his satellite internet company.
“Oh well,” he posted on X, the social media platform he owns.
While Musk appears nonchalant, CBC News will monitor this story in the coming weeks as it’s extremely common to see lawsuits follow cancelled government contracts.
18 hours ago
Ford government has failed on housing, Crombie says
Lucas Powers
Crombie targeted the PC’s record on housing, noting that costs are at historic highs and housing starts are lagging.
“It has been an abject failure on behalf of this government. We were building more homes in 1955 than we are today,” the Liberal leader says.
Crombie says a Liberal government would cut development charges on new construction and waive the provincial land transfer tax for first-time buyers, seniors and non-profits. She also committed to make re-zoning easier.
19 hours ago
PCs fire back as Crombie speaks
John Rieti
At the same time as Crombie is speaking, the PCs issued a news release touting billions they’re set to spend to respond to the tariffs.
“Only Doug Ford has a plan to protect Ontario,” the release says.
Beyond measures already announced by Ford, the numbers offer a first concrete look at money that could flow to stem damage from a trade war.
They include:
A six-month deferral of provincial taxes for Ontario businesses, amounting to roughly $10 billion in cash-flow support.$3 billion in payroll and premium relief for small businesses.Increasing the LCBO wholesale discount from 10 to 15 per cent for 18,000 restaurants and bars.$40 million earmarked for communities hardest hit by the tariffs.$300 million to expand a tax credit for businesses focused on manufacturing and processing in Ontario.$600 million more for an existing fund aimed at attracing new investments in the province.At a related news conference, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy acknowledged the proposed spending could only happen after the snap election campaign is over, since it requires legislative approval.
19 hours ago
Crombie takes another shot at Ford
John Rieti
Crombie says Ford’s election call is an attempt to “cling to power” and says there are “rumblings” that there’s an update coming into the RCMP investigation into the Greenbelt scandal.
She said instead of campaigning, Ford’s government should be at Queen’s Park.
“They should be at their desks working. Heads down,” Crombie said.
