Article content
Let’s face it: Ontario wasn’t prepared for U.S. President Donald Trump. The threat of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports potentially starting Feb. 1 threatens 500,000 jobs in this province, and it has the potential to devastate an economy that’s already on thin ice. The solution is obvious. We need urgency and action — not a snap election.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called an early and unnecessary election on the eve of these tariffs. It is a cynical, self-interested move that will inevitably hurt the people of Ontario. Our province faces an economic assault, and Doug Ford is only interested in saving himself. We need to be working with Team Canada to plan a robust economic stimulus, attract investment and strike back at Donald Trump just as hard as he strikes us.
Article content
I’ve already pledged Ontario’s Liberals will support the premier in the fight ahead. As have other opposition parties. But — to be honest — with his strong mandate until 2026, Ford has all the tools he needs to act decisively — without delay. So why won’t he use it and do the right thing for our province, and for the people who are about to bear the brunt of this dispute?
Doug Ford wants to use the crisis as an opportunity for his own gain. To protect his job, and to avoid the conclusions of an ongoing RCMP investigation into his Greenbelt scandal. Doug Ford has been musing about an early election since before Trump even got re-elected: because he knows the Mounties are onto him, not because he could predict a looming trade war. He doesn’t care about you — it’s all about him clinging to power.
Uncertainty and chaos in times of crisis only serve to benefit those who stand against us. We’re already seeing this play out in the federal government.
Ontario was not prepared for Donald Trump to begin with. For seven years, Doug Ford has put his rich friends first, and real people have suffered the consequences. Outside the pandemic, unemployment is at its highest in a decade, economic growth has stalled and business confidence is at record lows.
Article content
And with our economy in decline, Doug Ford has failed to get the basics right. Two and a half million people don’t have a family doctor, housing prices are out of control and millions are turning to food banks just to put food on the table. This is not a province that is prepared to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs as a result of U.S. tariffs.
But all is not lost. If I know one thing to be true, it is that the people of Ontario are the most capable, hard working and resilient people in the world. When we stand together, we are an unstoppable force. We tackle pandemics and ice storms and tornadoes, together.
Look, I’m obviously no fan of Doug Ford. But at this critical moment, we need to put people before politics. And what people need is strong, stable leadership — not an unnecessary election that will cost them $189 million at a time of crisis. Money that could go to health care, education or the stimulus we may inevitably need.
Doug Ford must be held accountable. His job is not more important than yours. And your success is more important than his.
As premier, I will put you and your priorities first — getting you a family doctor, cutting your taxes and building more homes you can actually afford.
I’m ready to roll up my sleeves to do more for you, and I will never abandon my post when Ontario needs me the most.
National Post
Bonnie Crombie is the leader of Ontario’s Liberals.
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network
