Sarah MacFarlane 

Doug Ford says it's the whole reason he opted to call a snap election in the dead winter, more than a year earlier than scheduled.

The need for a supermajority mandate from voters to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian exports.

They were supposed to go into effect this week but Trump has postponed them for at least 30 days.

That hasn't stopped Ford from maintaining the need for the Feb. 27 election.

"Make no mistake, Canada and Ontario continue to stare down the threat of tariffs," he said during a campaign stop in Ottawa on Tuesday. "Whether it's tomorrow, in a month, or a year from now, President Trump will continue to use the threat of tariffs to get what he wants."

Whether it required an election call or not is up for debate but it's obvious that the threat of sweeping levies from Canada's biggest trading partner has emerged as one of the biggest issues on the campaign trail.

Ever since the tariffs were first threatened, Ford has gone on a media and advocacy blitz, warning of the severe impacts and retaliation, appearing on American news networks to urge Trump back down and publicly encouraging a unified “Team Canada” approach.

This is not the first time Ford has crossed paths with Trump; his first term began on June 29, 2018, 1.5 years into Trump’s first presidency.

Trump first imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in 2018, ​then removed them a year later after reaching a new free trade deal. He then re-imposed them in 2020, and Canada responded with dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. metal products. At the time, Ford thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the retaliation.

This time, Trump has cited concerns over border security as his reasoning for the new tariffs. In response, the Ontario government launched “Operation Deterrence,” a framework for enhanced security at international borders on Jan. 7.

Trump, in particular, is targeting Ontario's auto sector, saying he doesn't need or want Canadian-made cars. During his last term, Trump signed the most recent free trade deal between the two countries and Mexico, which specifically carved out an automotive agreement. Cars, automotive parts and raw materials are shipped back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border multiple times as vehicles are built.

Trump now wants to rip up that deal. And in the past, negotiations and dialogue about relations between Canada and the U.S. has been the responsibility of the prime minister.

In a press release, Ford said “Ontario has been calling on the federal government to step up and address safety and security concerns at the border.”

“We need to see words turned into visible action,” he said.

“In the meantime, Ontario is stepping up with Operation Deterrence to crack down on illegal border crossings and illegal guns and drugs. A more coordinated, Team Canada approach that includes more boots on the ground is the only way to detect, deter and disrupt illegal activity and ensure the safety and security of Canadian and American communities.”

Ford has also acknowledged Trump's frustration with the skirting of auto rules, accusing China of using Mexico as a backdoor to enter the integrated North American market. But the premier has maintained that Trump should target the culprits, not its loyal trading partner Canada.

That being said, Ford has threatened consequences if Trump follows through on tariffs.

In fact, when it appeared that Trump would impose those levies earlier this week, 

vowing to remove all American products from provincial-owned liquor stores.

He also said that Ontario would scrap its $100 million broadband deal with Elon Musk’s company Starlink, as well as ban U.S. firms from bidding on provincial contracts.

“Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” Ford said in a statement. “Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”

The PCs said the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement.

 released Jan. 29, voters said dealing with the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs should be debated during the election, with 32 per cent of respondents saying it was a top issue. It was a fairly consistent issue across all voter bases, the poll found.

 found that 48 per cent of Ontarians think the election is necessary to provide Ford with a new mandate; the remaining 52 per cent said calling the election early is just “cynical politics” from Ford.

Both polls put Ford’s Progressive Conservatives in a solid lead among voters, and Conservative strategist Jeff Rutledge said people are “scared and angry” at the tariffs, so Ford’s messaging has been resonating with voters.

“They are trying to understand what this means for them as Canadians,” explained Rutledge. “We’ve been proud neighbours of the U.S., many of us spending a great deal of time down there, and I think they feel as though they've been stabbed in the back.

“It's easy enough to get all huffy and angry, but this is not something that can persist,” he continued. “We need to respond, so I think that's why Ontarians are responding to things that he's saying.”

The leaders of Ontario’s political parties agree that the next premier must have a clear and firm approach to Canada-U.S. relations that supports the province’s jobs, businesses and economy.

They are not aligned, though, on Ford’s decision to call a snap election.

Ford called the election this past week. He justified it by saying he needs a fresh mandate from Ontarians in order to spend tens of billions of dollars to help people during a trade war.

He dissolved the provincial legislature on Tuesday, meaning bills cannot be passed into law until the formation of a new government. The snap election is set for Feb. 27 and could cost taxpayers as much as $189 million.

Opposition leaders have accused Ford of calling the early election ahead of the June 2026 fixed date to take advantage of good polling numbers and get out ahead of this year's federal election. They say he is using Trump's tariff threats as an excuse for personal gain.

Ford insists he can still act as sitting premier while campaigning and has two trips to Washington, D.C., planned for February that he said would be paid for by the PC Party.

Ford sidestepped questions Saturday about whether he would be able to implement his "economic action plan" to respond to tariffs during the campaign.

But he has said it will be the electorate's decision whether to move forward with the measures, implying they will come after the election should he win.

Part of the plan includes a $22-billion stimulus package to build infrastructure, which Ford has said would go ahead regardless of Trump's moves.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Ford should not have called a snap election.

"A premier doesn't quit his job when we're being plunged into a crisis like this," Stiles said at a campaign stop in Toronto.

"So he decided to quit his job. I'm running to be premier of this province and I'm going to fight for every single job, every single person in every single sector in this province."

In a statement posted to X over the weekend, Stiles said if elected, she would “work in lock-step with premiers and the federal government, stand up for Ontario’s workers, and never let Trump divide us.”

Her campaign did not provide details on what her approach would entail.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie's campaign said Saturday that Ford has left Ontario vulnerable.

"He's been caught with his pants down, exposed because he's not at work doing his job as he should be," she said. "This is a time of real threat, not a time of opportunity for yourself, Mr. Premier."

In a statement issued Monday, Crombie said her plan for fighting the tariffs would involve an at-home strategy of offering bonuses to Canadian nurses and doctors who want to "come back home" and improving affordability for Ontarians, as well as creating a fund for Ontario businesses, streamlining infrastructure funding, excluding American companies from procurement opportunities and working with other provinces to "eliminate nonsensical interprovincial trade barriers."

Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner told 

 that Ford’s decision to call the election is “selfish” and “irresponsible”.

“He should be recalling the Ontario legislature this week to pass legislation to respond to these tariffs, and we can't do it because the premier is putting his own political interests ahead of the people of Ontario,” Schreiner said on Sunday after a day of door-knocking in Orangeville, Ont.

Although it might not have been part of his original campaign when he chose to run for premier, Schreiner said his team has a plan to address the tariffs that involves creating a task force to work “across party, jurisdictional and sectoral lines” to defend Ontario’s economy. He would also put forward an investment tax credit to “unlock” business investment in Ontario.

He said he's also focusing on implementing a “Buy Ontario” strategy, which he said should start with the provincial government’s public procurement practices, and developing a “trade diversification strategy”.

He also said that Ford’s decision to take on a negotiating role is “irresponsible” and “playing politics with tariffs.”

But Rutledge argues that Ford’s move to secure himself as a stable leader is an instance of “the good [premiers] stepping up” in times of conflict.

“I think in times of great challenge, especially economically, you can look back through the decades to see how premiers responded during wartime periods — because that's, essentially what this is — premiers need to defend the needs of their provinces,” he said. “It's pretty clear from how Trump is positioned on this that if there isn't consistent and clear leadership, he'll take advantage of it.

“I think Ford will continue to be that loud voice and leader at the table.”

He argued that Trump took advantage of the inconsistent leadership at a federal level following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent resignation and the current Liberal leadership race. In his eyes, Ford “saw the risk” of this and decided to step in.

“I think Ontarians are going to be excited to see the election over,” Rutledge said. “But that's mostly because I think everybody supports the approach of the premier and wants to get back to work.”

— with files from Marco Vigliotti and the Canadian Press

Welcome to the first edition of Top of Mind, a new series exploring the issues expected to shape the 2025 Ontario election campaign. We start with a look at Canada-U.S. relations. 

Top of mind in Ontario: Canada-U.S. relations

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