In a stunning new salvo against Ottawa, Premier Doug Ford launched a province-wide advertising campaign Thursday claiming the federal government was well aware of the potential for devastating tariffs from south of the border, yet failed to prepare Ontario industries for the impact.
The multi-platform campaign, appearing across television and social media, pulls no punches in its accusation that federal officials, including Finance Minister and potential Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney, had advance knowledge of Donald Trump’s tariff threats but left provincial economies vulnerable.
“While Ottawa played politics, Ontario workers were left exposed,” declares the 30-second spot now circulating widely across the province. The ad features images of shuttered factories and concerned workers, driving home Ford’s message about federal negligence.
Sources close to the premier’s office tell me the campaign represents months of frustration boiling over. “The premier has been sounding alarms in private meetings with federal counterparts since early spring,” said a senior provincial official speaking on background. “The response was essentially to wait and see.”
Federal-provincial tensions are nothing new in Canadian politics, but this campaign marks a significant escalation. The advertisements claim explicitly that Ottawa received intelligence briefings about potential Trump administration trade actions but dismissed provincial concerns as premature.
At Queen’s Park yesterday, Ford defended the campaign’s pointed message. “We’re not going to apologize for standing up for Ontario workers when Ottawa dropped the ball,” Ford told reporters. “They knew these tariffs were coming. They had the intelligence. What did they do with it? Nothing.”
The federal government swiftly countered these assertions. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office called the advertisements “misleading and unhelpful during a critical time when Canadians expect united leadership.”
The timing is particularly sensitive as former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney considers a potential leadership bid to replace Justin Trudeau. Carney, who has positioned himself as an economic steady hand, features prominently in the provincial critique.
“What we’re seeing is a provincial government trying to shift blame for economic anxiety that crosses jurisdictional boundaries,” explained Melissa Thompson, political science professor at Carleton University. “But this level of direct accusation – claiming the federal government had advance intelligence and sat on it – that’s unprecedented in recent federal-provincial relations.”
The advertisements have sparked debate about the ethics of intergovernmental messaging. While provincial governments routinely criticize federal policies, rarely do they launch paid media campaigns alleging intelligence failures.
At stake is public confidence during a period of economic uncertainty. A recent Angus Reid survey found 67 percent of Ontarians are concerned about potential tariff impacts on manufacturing jobs, with particular worry in auto-manufacturing regions like Windsor and Oshawa.
The campaign also raises questions about what intelligence was actually available. Trade experts note that while Trump’s tariff preferences were hardly a secret during the campaign, specific targets and timelines remained unclear until formal announcements.
“Everyone knew tariffs were in Trump’s playbook,” said Carlos Rodriguez, international trade lawyer and former trade negotiator. “But suggesting there was actionable intelligence that could have triggered specific provincial preparations? That’s a much stronger claim that requires substantiation.”
Ford’s government appears undeterred by federal pushback. At a manufacturing facility in Brampton yesterday, Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli doubled down. “When we raised these concerns in federal-provincial meetings months ago, we were essentially patted on the head and told not to worry,” Fedeli claimed.
The advertising campaign represents a significant financial investment, with sources suggesting the province has committed over $2 million for the initial media buy. Critics question whether public funds should be used for what opposition leaders are calling “partisan attack ads.”
“Ontarians need governments working together, not spending millions on finger-pointing,” Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said in a statement. “Those millions could protect jobs instead of funding political warfare.”
For communities potentially affected by tariffs, the political squabbling offers little comfort. In Windsor, where the auto industry remains a crucial employer, uncertainty looms large.
“People here don’t really care who knew what when,” said Maria Castellanos, president of a Windsor-area manufacturing workers association. “They care about whether their jobs are protected next month and next year.”
The Ford government’s messaging strategy reflects a calculation that Ontarians will blame Ottawa, not Queen’s Park, for any economic pain resulting from renewed trade tensions. But polling suggests voters may see through transparent attempts to shift responsibility.
“Voters are increasingly sophisticated about distinguishing between federal and provincial responsibilities,” noted veteran pollster Darrell Bricker. “But when it comes to economic security, they mainly want results, not jurisdictional arguments.”
As the campaign unfolds across Ontario’s airwaves and social feeds, the question remains whether this aggressive approach will pressure Ottawa into a more collaborative posture or simply deepen the divide between Canada’s largest province and the federal government at a time when coordinated action may be most needed.
