Ford spoke with a consultant of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about ‘Fortress Am-Can,’ a staple of his re-election marketing campaign
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Doug Ford introduced his marketing campaign to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, hoping to vary President Donald Trump’s thoughts on tariffs in addition to the hearts and minds of Ontario voters.
The Ontario PC chief, who’s in the course of a marketing campaign for re-election, went to the U.S. capital to take conferences with American representatives and tackle the enterprise sector.
The occasions got here a day after Trump introduced a 25 per cent tariffs on metal and aluminum. However whereas the PC chief has aggressively defended Canada amid the U.S.’s first spherical of tariffs — even promising to tear up contracts, take away American alcohol and ban U.S. procurement in Ontario — he took a softer tone whereas south of the border.
As an alternative, he touted his “Fortress Am-Can” plan, a constructing block of his election marketing campaign that requires a better and nearer relationship between the US and Canada.
The plan, unveiled in full through a shiny 20-page booklet with the federal government of Ontario brand printed on it, was handed out at a speech and fireplace chat with Neil Herrington, senior vp for the Americas division on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The gang was largely Canadian, with enterprise leaders and mayors flying down to listen to Ford converse. He struck a much less combative tone throughout this speech than marketing campaign occasions only a week prior, selecting to focus much less on the damaging nature of tariffs and extra on the significance of decoupling from China, whereas utilizing the chance to air his grievances concerning the Canadian federal authorities’s insurance policies.
This included his name to scrap the digital companies tax and the carbon tax, attain NATO spending commitments and reform bail.
The time period “Am-Can” was thrown round within the speech over a dozen instances and used not solely as a noun, but in addition an adjective describing the economic system, staff, land and vitality, amongst different issues.
“Friends, this is Fortress Am-Can,” Ford mentioned. “It’s a vision that respects each country as proudly independent, and it celebrates what we can achieve together. Let’s stop wasting time and energy and effort fighting each other, threatening tariffs that will only hurt workers, hurt businesses and cost more for families.”
When requested to handle the metal and aluminum tariffs, Ford merely mentioned he was “disappointed.”
“I’m the type of person when you give someone your word and you shake their hand, not that I shook the president’s hand, but when you shake their hand, it’s golden. You do not move from those rules,” he mentioned.
Whereas the pleasant faces within the room applauded Ford’s speech and fireplace chat — which included softball questions concerning the PC chief’s imaginative and prescient for allowing reform, his proposed procurement ban for China and “discriminatory” taxes from the federal authorities — others appeared unconvinced.
Eric Miller, President of Rideau Potomac Technique Group, a consulting agency that advises governments and firms on cross border commerce points, instructed reporters he doesn’t assume the thought of a “Fortress Am-Can” goes to resonate with the brand new U.S. president.
“I give the premier huge credit for coming to try to fight the good fight, but I’m not sure much can change Donald Trump’s mind,” he mentioned.
When requested by The Trillium if he had spoken with anybody throughout the U.S. administration about tariff considerations, Miller mentioned he had, however there’s a “not a great deal of knowledge around how the supply chain actually functions.”
“There is a very defined view among people around President Trump, around the vision for tariffs on the whole world,” he mentioned.
“It’s very, very difficult to convince them that they’re on a path of falling. And so they will have to find out. And unfortunately, Canada will have to endure pain in that process of the United States finding out.”
In a while Tuesday, Ford is anticipated to satisfy with Republican representatives, together with Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan, Congressman Rob Wittman of Virginia, and Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. He can even participate in conferences Wednesday with the Council of the Federation, which he chairs.
No breakdown has been supplied as to who premiers will likely be assembly on Wednesday.
Talking with reporters, Ford appeared satisfied that speaking to additional representatives and making a visit to Washington, particularly throughout an election marketing campaign, might make a distinction.
“The White House knows we’re down here,” he mentioned with out elaborating when requested whether or not he had met with anybody inside Trump’s administration. “I can’t speak for the president, but I think everyone knows minds can change.”
The “Fortress Am-Can” booklet specifies that the PC authorities met with “incoming cupboard secretaries and advisors to the brand new administration. CBC Information is reporting that he spoke with Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and Secretary of the Inside Doug Burgum, however Ford’s workplace refused to substantiate this truth.
The PC Social gathering paid for the journey, together with chartering a airplane and protecting the prices of inns for Ford and the workers travelling with him.
On the identical time, Ford didn’t invoice this as a marketing campaign occasion, saying that he was on the occasion as “premier.”
“I’m still the premier of Ontario until I’m no longer the premier of Ontario. But let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
Again in Ontario, NDP Chief Marit Stiles instructed Chamber of Commerce Better Kitchener-Waterloo CEO Ian McLean that Ontario and Canada have to “shield ourselves” by re-evaluating provide chains and “our overwhelming reliance on the US.”
She argued that Canada integrating its economic system additional with the U.S., as Ford suggests, is “the wrong approach.”
“We’ve got pals on the market and they’re getting hit too — and if they don’t seem to be now, they are going to be — and we’d like to verify we’re making ready, and dealing carefully with Ontario industries and staff, to verify we tariff-proof our future. We’re in a weak place proper now, and the incorrect strategy is to go deeper down that highway.”
Stiles referred to as it “unlucky” that Ford seemed to be suggesting that Ontario helps the modifications that Trump is implementing in the US, and demonstrates how sympathetic Ford is to Trump’s controversial insurance policies.
“Doug Ford’s message to Individuals doesn’t mirror how most Canadians, and definitely not the individuals of Ontario, really feel proper now. We aren’t feeling very beneficiant proper now to Donald Trump,” she mentioned.
Liberal Chief Bonnie Crombie, in the meantime, accused Ford of abandoning his publish by travelling to the U.S. whereas campaigning.
“There’s not one other premier in Washington proper now at that desk that might entertain holding an election after which leaving to go to Washington.”
— With information from Alan S. Hale
