Roundup: Ford’s false “mandate” demands

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Ontario premier Doug Ford confirmed that yes, he will be calling an early election on Wednesday, and spouted a bunch of bullshit about needing a “strong mandate” to deal with Trump, which is fiction. He went so far as to call for the “largest mandate in Ontario history,” which veers dangerously close into one-party-state delusions. And incredibly, Ford said “So you better pray that we get elected, because I’m going to protect everyone’s job, including the media’s job,” which no he won’t, and then said, “Imagine Bonnie Crombie or Marit Stiles sitting across from President Trump negotiating a deal. It would be an absolute disaster. And God help us if that ever happens.” Premiers do not engage in international negotiations. Ever. That is explicitly outside of their jurisdiction. Ford is not going to negotiate with Trump, even if he thinks that “businessman to businessman” they can work something out.

This is pure distraction. Ford has been planning on an early election for months, and now he has Trump as a fig-leaf of an excuse. He wanted to go to an election before the federal election because he doesn’t want Pierre Poilievre to taint his chances in 2026, when the next election is supposed to be held, and he’s afraid of this nonsense “theory” that Ontarians like to have different parties in power federally and provincially. And by running against Trump, he figures he can distract everyone from his corruption (RCMP investigation ongoing) and absolute mismanagement of the healthcare system to the point of its collapse, his dismantling of the post-secondary education system, and the size of the deficits he’s been running after all of his lamentations about Kathleen Wynne’s record when he has done worse by absolutely every metric. But Trump? Well, that’s a real distraction, and his playacting the “Captain Canada” role has been helping him build that, even though he hasn’t actually filled any federal vacuum in leadership (there is a conscious decision not to react to every Trump utterance), and it’s already had the Baby Spice effect on people’s brains.

Meanwhile, his constant claims that he needs a “mandate” is a fraught political concept that doesn’t actually mean anything in a Westminster system. He has a majority legislature. His opposition parties are largely ineffective or in disarray (and he has invoked the Notwithstanding Clause to neuter third-party groups from campaiging against him). Those opposition leaders said they will support anything he needs to do to counter the effect of any Trump tariffs. His claims that he needs a “mandate” to do this is an import that doesn’t actually mean anything. He was elected to govern for four years—he doesn’t need to call an election every time a crisis comes up to say that he needs a “mandate” to deal with it. Nothing would get done if he did. This is naked self-interest, and it needs to be exposed as such, but the Queen’s Park media won’t, and I suspect that Uncle Doug will sail to another election victory, both because he continues to beguile the population, and the opposition parties continue to be useless. It’s absolutely embarrassing.

Ukraine Dispatch

Russia launched a drone barrage against residential buildings in Kyiv overnight Friday, killing three. Russians claim they are about to overtake the town of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region. Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack against one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the Ryazan region, causing an explosion and damage. Reuters got access to the drone unit that is launching these long-range attacks into Russia to damage their war capabilities.

Good reads:

  • Former chief negotiator Steve Verheul says that Danielle Smith’s behaviour is undermining Canada’s position in fighting against potential tariffs. (You think?)
  • Bill Blair says that meeting the NATO 2% of GDP spending target is achievable by 2027 (but the real challenge may wind up be sustaining it).
  • Following Amazon’s decision to pull out of Quebec (totally not union-busting!), François-Philippe Champagne is hinting they won’t sign for more cloud services.
  • Diane Lebouthillier’s latest offer for livelihood fisheries for Mi’kmaq on the East Coast have been rejected, saying it was just a rebranding of previous offers.
  • The federal government is preparing to possibly open an asylum processing centre near the Quebec/US border as a contingency if there is a flood of migrants.
  • The government tested advertising concepts of using a “tooth fairy” to promote the dental care plan, but focus groups felt it came off like the Angel of Death.
  • Canada Post got a $1 billion repayable loan from the federal government to keep their operations solvent while they work to restructure their operations.
  • The Logic delves into the renewed push to address internal trade barriers now that Trump’s threats are providing some leverage.
  • CBC worries about the interconnectedness of our oil supply with the US, where pipelines to central Canada run through the US.
  • Here is a look into the concerns over the recent data-sharing agreement with the US when permanent residents cross the border in either direction.
  • Some Liberal MPs are bristling at Karina Gould’s contention that the party lost touch with Canadians. (Others, however, agree that’s part of what happened).
  • Chrystia Freeland says she thinks the party “establishment” and PMO are supporting Mark Carney; Carney says he commits to running in the next election regardless.
  • Poilievre says he would fight Trump tariffs, claims he’ll solve interprovincial trade (with what magic wand?) and that the east coast will pay a premium for Alberta oil.
  • Stephen Saideman remarks on Trump’s new demand of 5% NATO spending.
  • Justin Ling looks into the groups advocating for the de-colonisation and break-up of the Russian Federation and wonders why the Liberals are absent on that file.

Odds and ends:

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