Ottawa fires back at Ford over USMCA grousing

Put a sock in it, Doug: That’s the message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s
government to Doug Ford in the wake of the premier’s grousing about Ontario being
hurt by the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade deal.
The federal Liberals are striking back at Ford over his charge that Ottawa “left out”
key sectors in the new USMCA.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc has taken the unusual step of
publicly reminding the premier of his position during the contentious trade talks.
“Premier Ford fully supported Canada’s NAFTA negotiating position, both in public
and in private,” LeBlanc told the Star on Friday.
“Just days before the deal was concluded, the premier was briefed in detail in
Washington, D.C., including about the modest changes to the supply management
sector,” the minister said, referring to concessions that give U.S. dairy farmers
access to about 3.6 per cent of the Canadian market.
“The premier left that meeting and said publicly what he told us behind closed doors,
that he stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Canada’s negotiators. His … minister (Jim
Wilson) even pleaded with us to get to a deal at any cost,” he said.
Ottawa is blasting Ford — who, associates say, has future national political
ambitions — after he escalated his rhetorical attacks on Trudeau this week.
At a campaign rally Tuesday to mark his first 100 days in office, the premier
lambasted the Prime Minister.
“The new deal leaves too many Ontario families and businesses out in the cold. The
Trudeau Liberals left out Ontario farmers, they left out Ontario’s steelworkers and
aluminum workers,” Ford told about 600 supporters in Etobicoke.
“They used Ontario jobs as a bargaining chip and Justin Trudeau is out there taking
a victory lap without giving honest answers about … what he will do for the people
he’s left behind,” he said.
OPINION:
I feel the liberals could have said more and held back a lot. They should say
more before it becomes a real uphill battle for the next elections.
Doug Ford is a Trump supporter. he has a complete lack of self awareness of
his own abilities (or lack thereof). The man wouldn't be able to haggle over a
Craiglist transaction and come out on top, much less a major international
trade deal.