Tariffs back in Ontario campaign spotlight with fresh threat from Trump

• UPDATE: On Monday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum, including from Canada. The story below was published before the official announcement.

Tariffs were back in the spotlight on the Ontario election campaign trail Monday, as the major party leaders brace for potential U.S. levies on several key Canadian goods. 

Speaking to reporters Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he intends to slap 25 per cent tariffs on aluminum and steel, including from Canada and Mexico. That's despite agreements made by Trump with both countries just last week to delay the imposition of tariffs for 30 days.

At a campaign stop in Oakville, PC Leader Doug Ford said Canada and the provinces need to be prepared to react quickly.

"We're still learning more about [the tariffs'] scope and impact, but what we know for certain is this is the next four years ... Shifting goal posts constantly and constant chaos all designed to hurt our economy and undermine our workers," he said.

Ford was alluding to his central campaign message and supposed reason for calling a snap election: that he needs another clear four-year mandate to deal with the uncertainty of the Trump administration.

The PC leader also reiterated his pitch for the so-called "Fortress Am-Can," a renewed energy and security alliance between the U.S. and Canada aimed at out-competing China in the global race for resources and innovation. The idea is not one that appears to have gained much traction with either the federal Liberal government nor the Trump administration.

As part of the campaign stop, Ford announced a re-elected PC government would ban Chinese parts from future energy procurement and prohibit any Chinese state-owned enterprises from "buying or taking equity in any Ontario government funded energy and critical mineral projects."

CBC News reached out to the PC campaign to ask whether there are any existing instances of this happening in the province. A spokesperson said there are currently no examples, and they would need time to look into whether there are any historically.

PCs trying to distract from record, Crombie says

Ford is set to lead a delegation to Washington, D.C., later this week to meet with American lawmakers and business leaders to make a case against tariffs. The trip has drawn criticism from Ford's political rivals, who argue the trip is an inappropriate use of his office as premier during an election campaign that he himself triggered, and defies democratic norms.

Trump's unexpected announcement Sunday came as the other major party leaders were attempting to shift the campaign away from tariffs and on to other provincial issues like health care and housing.

At her own campaign stop in Toronto, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said Ford was unprepared for the threat of U.S. tariffs, pointing to the PC leader's previous statements of support for Trump. 

She said Ford's focus on tariffs is an attempt to distract voters from his record on issues like affordability and health care, and that Ontario needs to be part of a "Team Canada" response to Trump.

"But the reality is [Ford's] been caught flatfooted because he hasn't insulated our economy. He hasn't diversified our trade or our trading partners or worked to reduce interprovincial barriers. He hasn't protected our jobs. The only job Doug Ford wants to protect is his own," Crombie told reporters. 

"Meanwhile, people are struggling and don't have access to a family doctor," she said.

Stiles meets with steelworkers

For her part, NDP Leader Marit Stiles met with steelworkers in Hamilton, a city that could face economic devastation from a protracted trade war that includes tariffs on steel and related goods. 

"I know that that's going to have a lot of people here in Hamilton and all across Ontario afraid, scared for their jobs and their future," Stiles said of Trump's latest threat.

"And I'm here to just talk to some of the steelworkers and make sure that they know that I'm on their side, that I will fight like hell for every single job in every sector and for all of those jobs in steel and aluminum," she said.

Stiles repeated her campaign message that Ontario needs to "tariff-proof" its economy, though she didn't elaborate on what that would look like. She also said the province needs to ensure that any workers impacted by tariffs are provided with adequate income supports.

"Right now, we're vulnerable. People are already suffering with higher costs of living. Health care is falling apart. It is a tough time for Ontarians. We are not in a good place right now. So it's going to take a strong government to stand up for working people," she said.

Stiles also used an earlier news conference with the Ontario Nurses' Association to promise she would establish safe nurse-to-patient ratios in hospital so patients get more care and nurses don't burn out.

Stiles said the New Democrats would also hire at least 15,000 nurses over three years, at a cost of $1.5 billion, and redirect hundreds of millions of dollars from for-profit temporary health-care staffing agencies to the public system.