Premiers united in fight against threatened tariffs despite ‘chaos’ in Ottawa: Ford

TORONTO — All 13 of the country’s premiers will remain united as “Team Canada” in the face of a tariff threat from the United States despite “chaos” in Ottawa, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said hours after the federal finance minister’s resignation.

Ford chaired a meeting Monday of the provincial and territorial leaders in Toronto, and one of the top agenda items was to discuss a warning from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump that he will impose a 25 per cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico when he takes office.

But the discussions took on a different tone, as Chrystia Freeland announced her resignation from cabinet around the time the premiers began their meeting.

At the Council of the Federation meeting closing press conference, Ford painted the premiers as having a steady set of hands on the tiller amid far more turbulent federal waters.

“It’s chaos right now up in Ottawa and it’s time that what we do every single day, the premiers: we step up and we’ll make sure that we tell the world that there is stability here,” Ford said.

“There is certainty here in Canada and by all means it’s a great place to invest in any of our provinces or territories.”

Canada’s efforts to push back on the tariff threat won’t be derailed by the resignation of one person, said Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King.

“Everything seems chaotic, but if you look to the south of the border, chaos seems to rule the day down there every day of the week,” he said.

“We have a really good case to put forward. And there are a lot of people working on this, from the premiers’ tables, from all of our staffs, or all of the individual businesses we deal with across the country…There’s a lot more going on than just what might be captivating our attention in Ottawa today.”

Freeland’s resignation letter — coming the same day as she had been set to deliver a fall economic update — said she and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have been “at odds,” and she wrote that Canada needs to eschew “costly political gimmicks” as it braces for a tariff war.

She also wrote that pushing back against American economic nationalism means working in good faith and humility with the premiers.

The premiers, through Ford, said Monday the federal government needs to do a better job of engaging them on a strategy to fight back against the threatened tariffs. The provincial and territorial leaders are planning a premiers’ mission to Washington, D.C., in February.

They can’t afford to lose momentum, said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

“If our collective goal is to avoid tariffs, we’re only a month out from that, or thereabouts,” she said.

“I would say that the premiers at this table offer the continuity in being able to maintain that pressure, and maintain that push with our American counterparts, and I think we’re all going to be committed to doing that.”

Premiers met Sunday night with the Business Council of Canada to hear from people who have significant relationships with CEOs in the United States, as well as governors and senators, said New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt.

“We are bringing everything we have to this to make sure that we are protecting Canadians from the tariffs that have been suggested,” she said.

“That effort is made stronger by everyone at this table, who is working together, using our connections and our relationships with governors, with business and coming at this from every angle.”

Trump has suggested that the tariffs will come into place unless both countries stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S.

The premiers have had virtual meetings with Trudeau to discuss the tariffs, press him for more funding on border security and plan a co-ordinated response. Those types of meetings need to happen regularly, the premiers said.

While some premiers have spoken about different approaches to handling Trump’s tariff threat, Ford has said they are all in agreement on the need to tighten border security and that Canada should meet its commitment to spend two per cent of its GDP on national defence. Trudeau has pledged to meet that target by 2032.

Ford has come out strongly in favour of retaliatory tariffs and has threatened to in turn cut off the electricity the province supplies to several states.

But other premiers have spoken in favour of a different approach, with Smith saying she prefers the diplomatic route and doesn’t support retaliatory tariffs or cutting off Alberta’s oil and gas exports.

The premiers also agreed Monday on a new proposal to speed up approvals for life-saving medications. They will direct their ministers of health to begin a pilot project that will cut approvals processes by nine months, Ford said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2024.

Liam Casey and Allison Jones, The Canadian Press