Ontario early election: Ford says he needs new mandate for dealing with Trump [Video]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford appears to be ready to trigger an early election in the province as he now suggests the four-year term of U.S. President Donald Trump is justification enough for his government to ask voters for a “clear mandate.”

The justification is the latest in an evolution of reasons to potentially call an early election as the Progressive Conservative party rides high in the polls and Ford himself enjoys a boost in approval ratings for his role in fighting the spectre of potential tariffs.

On Monday, as Trump took the oath of office, his administration promised to announce an “America First” trade policy but stopped short of applying the 25 per cent tariffs on all goods shipped from Canada to the United States.

Instead, U.S. media reports said the president plans to issue an executive order that will direct federal agencies to investigate accusations of unfair trade and …