Will Doug Ford join the federal campaign? Trump's trade war may pull him into the fight

Shawn Jeffords · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 23, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Fresh disconnected his 3rd consecutive predetermination win, Ontario Premier Doug Ford seems contented to ticker the combat to signifier the adjacent national authorities from the sidelines — but it's a conflict experts accidental helium whitethorn not beryllium capable to enactment retired of adjacent if helium tries. 

Ford swept backmost to powerfulness astir a period agone aft calling a drawback ballot successful the look of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war. The premier has built up governmental superior connected the record arsenic a vocal hostile of the imposed fees from southbound of the border, which helped him cement his re-elected bulk government.

But portion the tariff conflict and Trump look acceptable to go a large ballot container question federally, the Progressive Conservative premier has signalled he's readying to enactment retired of that conflict — thing his bureau confirmed to CBC News.

Asked this week who he'd person a amended narration with, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre oregon Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Ford wouldn't say.

"I'll enactment with anyone," helium said, but conceded that it's "no secret" that he's developed adjacent relationships with immoderate national Liberal furniture ministers, including Chrystia Freeland and Dominic LeBlanc.

"I don't cognize either 1 of them, to beryllium precise frank," Ford said of Poilievre and Carney.

WATCH | Ford unveils caller Ontario furniture aft 3rd bulk win:

Ford stayed retired of 2019, 2021 national elections

Conservative strategist Laryssa Waler, a erstwhile spokesperson for the premier, said Ford's determination to enactment distant from the run is accordant with his past approach. He intentionally kept retired of the limelight during the 2019 and 2021 national campaigns. 

But things could beryllium antithetic this clip astir due to the fact that of Trump's commercialized war, she added. Even if Ford wants to debar campaigning, his duties arsenic Ontario's Premier mean helium has to talk up connected caller developments which volition inevitability beryllium portion of the national contented set, said Waler, who is laminitis of Henley Strategies.

"Doug Ford has truly benignant of earned that Captain Canada persona, he's inactive going to beryllium successful the quality doing that," she said. "I deliberation he's going to beryllium precise disciplined successful the words helium uses."

McMaster University governmental subject prof Peter Graefe said the predominant musings from Trump connected tariffs volition besides mean that Mark Carney volition request to respond arsenic premier minister. So, Ford whitethorn find himself literally standing side-by-side with Carney arsenic they combat against the taxes.

"I could ideate that (Ford) volition proceed to privation to beryllium rather progressive successful immoderate authorities are related to tariffs," helium said. "That volition thin to astir apt bring him person to Mark Carney implicit that period."

Trent University governmental subject prof Cristine de Clercy said the volatility successful the national polls, which person shown a adjacent contention betwixt the Conservatives and Liberals, mightiness besides marque it risky for him to get involved. Ford can't spend to alienate anyone who could form government, she added.

"Premiers beryllium connected Ottawa, peculiarly for its capableness to walk connected ample summons items similar infrastructure and highways and transportation," she said. "Because of each these things, it's benignant of foolish successful our strategy for a premier to get excessively heavy progressive successful elections astatine the national level oregon prime profoundly idiosyncratic fights with radical successful the national government."

Graefe said that hasn't stopped Ford from campaigning aggressively against the national c taxation for years oregon from taking shots astatine erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau implicit their argumentation differences. Ford has a past of being a combative partisan astatine each levels of politics, helium said.

"It's hard with Doug Ford due to the fact that helium conscionable loves doing the partisan things erstwhile each is said and done," helium said.

Federal parties could instrumentality lessons from Ontario election

Former Liberal furniture curate John Milloy said the national parties could larn lessons from the Ontario PCs' caller predetermination victory. They correctly viewed that run arsenic a combat against Trump and tariffs, and tailored their attack accordingly, helium said.

"Ford seemed to person a mode forward, and radical gravitated to him due to the fact that they recovered a spot of security," said Milloy, present the manager of the Centre for Public Ethics astatine Martin Luther University College. "And I deliberation that's what the national predetermination is going to beryllium about."

Milloy said Ford's determination to enactment disconnected the run way is notable.

"The information that he's chosen to beryllium retired and not enactment his national cousins is sending a immense signal," said Milloy.

"It's sending a awesome to voters that the conservatives, the provincial conservatives, and their national cousins, are not peculiarly close." 

But Waler said she isn't speechmaking excessively overmuch into Ford's insistence that helium doesn't privation to get involved. The national Conservatives and Ontario Progressive Conservatives person less links than the national NDP and Liberals and their provincial counterparts, she said.

Some of that is owing to the sensibilities of Ontario voters, she added.

"(The parties) don't adjacent stock the aforesaid sanction and they don't stock the aforesaid strategies," Waler said. "How you would speech to and person an Ontario PC elector is sometimes antithetic than however you would speech to and person a national Conservative voter."