How Ontario’s main parties would respond to tariffs [Video]

One week into Ontario’s four-week election campaign, the dominant issue by far is U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on Canadian exports. 

In his role as the incumbent premier, Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford was able to trigger a series of provincial government actions in response to the tariffs, boosting his re-election prospects in a way that’s unavailable to his rivals.  

Over the space of 24 hours, Ford ordered U.S. liquor withdrawn from the LCBO, cancelled the $92-million contract his government gave Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring satellite internet to 15,000 rural homes and banned U.S. companies from competing for provincial government procurement.  

Ford then paused all those measures Monday afternoon after Trump agreed to a 30-day reprieve on tariffs. 

These moves — along with multiple appearances on U.S. TV networks — have given a spotlight to Ford that helps the PC campaign, says Christopher Cochrane, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

“It’s obvious to any neutral …