(Ottawa) The presence of Justin Trudeau alongside the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, Monday in Windsor, a few hours before the start of the provincial election, has raised eyebrows more than one observer of the political scene. The strategists of the various parties, in Ottawa as in Toronto, have also taken note.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
Even the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Stephen Del Duca, was questioned about it the same day, on CBC NewsNetwork, as he tries to revive his political formation after the debacle of the June 2018. “Doug Ford has been campaigning for months,” he said.
The two premiers were in the southwest of the province to confirm an announcement with an economic flavor: a financial boost from the two governments exceeding one billion dollars to allow Stellantis to re-equip and modernize its factories in Windsor and from Brampton.
The automaker, which was created in January 2021 following the merger of the PSA Peugeot-Citroën group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, intends to convert these two factories into multipurpose assembly facilities in order to produce electric vehicles in particular. .
Knowing full well that the election campaign would get under way on Wednesday in anticipation of an election on June 2, Justin Trudeau welcomed the good understanding that exists between the federal ministers and those of the government of Ontario.
Moreover, his Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, was also present, as was his Ontario counterpart, Vic Fedeli, to explain the details of this “new deal” concluded. with the leaders of Stellantis, which will also invest 2.4 billion in this plan.
To journalists who asked him if this other announcement with Doug Ford constituted tacit support on his part before the election, Justin Trudeau remained unmoved.
“This is about investing in Windsor. It’s the culmination of months, if not years, of putting Canada forward as the right partner for investments in electric vehicles. We worked tirelessly on this file for months and months. This is good news and I know the people of Windsor would not have wanted this to be pushed back for another day, ”replied the Prime Minister.
Smirking, Doug Ford, who wants to campaign more on his economic record than on his management of the pandemic, echoed the words of his federal counterpart.
“We have been working on this file for months. You know, I put all those political labels aside. We have worked so well together throughout the pandemic, all three levels of government. And people expect it to be. When the elections are over, they expect us to work together,” he said.
Agreements, Doug Ford has concluded more than one with Ottawa in recent months. Including the one on child care services, which was initialed at the end of March and which will allow Ontario to obtain $10.2 billion over the next five years to bring child care costs down to about $10 a day in average by September 2025. Again, Justin Trudeau traveled to Toronto to make the announcement with his Ontario counterpart.
The Premier of Ontario also maintains very harmonious relations with the federal Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland. The two often exchange text messages. And when she was promoted to finance minister in August 2020, Doug Ford publicly showered her with praise.
During the federal election last September, Doug Ford opted for the greatest neutrality on the grounds that he had his hands full managing the province in times of a pandemic. He therefore did not lift a finger to come to the aid of his conservative federal cousins, then led by Erin O’Toole.
Behind the scenes, the federal Liberals are aware that Doug Ford, even if he sports a different political color, is an objective ally in Ontario.
“We have a fruitful relationship with the Ford government,” agreed an influential Ontario minister on condition of anonymity. Asked whether he intended to openly campaign against Doug Ford, the minister was hesitant. “We are going to support the Liberals in our ridings…”, he confided without finishing his sentence.
Ontario voters have a reputation for never putting all their eggs in one basket. They are giving the keys to power to a political party in Queen’s Park that is different from the one in power in Ottawa. For example, the Mike Harris Conservatives rocked Ontario in the 1990s while the Jean Chrétien Liberals dominated the federal political landscape. Conversely, when Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals took power at Queen’s Park in 2003, Ontario voters felt free on the federal stage to support Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party, which won three years later.
Another example: Brian Mulroney, when he was in power in Ottawa, was able to count on the unfailing support of a Liberal premier in Ontario, David Peterson, to defend the Meech Lake accord.
On the first day of the campaign, Wednesday, a poll indicated that Doug Ford had a good chance of getting a second term. In Ottawa, Justin Trudeau could very well put up with such a result.