The leader of Canada’s most populous province and hub of its vital auto industry said Friday he would call an early election because he needs stronger powers to deal with President Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on Canadian exports.
“With strong powers, we will be able to fight Donald Trump to stop the tariffs,” Ontario Conservative Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference Friday.
Mr. Ford has emerged as one of the strongest political voices defending Canada against Mr. Trump, who claims the country has an unfair economic advantage over the United States.
“He will try to devastate our country.” Mr. Ford recently spoke to reporters about the U.S. president.
Ontario’s automotive industry is deeply intertwined with that of the United States, with parts moving back and forth multiple times before a car is fully assembled.
The 25 per cent blanket tariffs that President Trump said he would apply on February 1 would depress Canada’s economy and, according to Mr. Ford, Canada could lose up to 500,000 jobs.
Ontario is also a major producer of hydroelectric power that supplies energy across the border to New England. Mr. Ford said the state could withhold it as a form of retaliation.
“We will go to the extent of blocking their energy,” he said recently.
At this potentially dangerous moment, Mr. Ford said Canada suffers from a lack of a strong negotiating position at the federal level. That’s partly because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided to resign and make way for a new party leader and prime minister.
“We need a loud voice at the table,” said Mr. Ford, who was wearing a hat that said “Canada is not for sale,” referring to Mr. Trump’s thoughts about Canada becoming another U.S. state.
Mr. Ford’s party already holds a majority of seats in the Ontario legislature, but he said increasing the Conservatives’ seats would strengthen their ability to act aggressively in a turbulent political environment with the United States, Canada’s largest trading partner.
“The opposition treats you with more respect rather than being vulnerable,” Mr Ford said. The election will now be held on February 27, more than a year before the fixed election date of June 2026.
Opposition leaders said an early election was unnecessary because it would support Mr. Ford in defending the state and country from tariffs.
Mr. Ford has been touring US cable programs, including Fox News, to criticize Mr. Trump over the tariffs. He also launched a multi-million dollar advertising campaign reminding viewers of Ontario’s energy and mineral contributions to the United States.
In a speech to attendees of the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday, Trump reiterated the threat of tariffs, saying the United States does not need Canadian exports such as lumber, oil and gas.
“We have our own,” President Trump said.
