VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- The leader of Ontario, Canada's most populous province, on Wednesday triggered a snap election, saying he needs a strong four-year mandate to fight the tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Doug Ford, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, said the 25% tariffs threatened by Trump would devastate Canada's economy and cost Ontario thousands of jobs.
"The people of our province, like people across Canada, are facing unprecedented times," Ford said in Windsor, Ont. "I am asking the people of Ontario for their trust. I'm asking (...) for a strong, stable, four-year mandate to do whatever it takes to protect Ontario."
The move would send Ontarians to the polls on Feb. 27, more than a year before the June 2026 fixed election date. Ford already has a large majority government, with 79 of the 124 seats in the Ontario legislature.
Trump has threatened to introduce tariffs on Canadian goods starting Saturday. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that the plan was "still on the books" for that day.
"This is a game to the president," said Ford, who is the equivalent of a U.S. state governor. "He seeks to divide and conquer."
Ford said the provincial government is prepared to spend "tens of billions of dollars" to protect jobs and the economy of Ontario, Canada's manufacturing and automobile hub.
"We'll fight these tariffs with every tool in our toolbox," he said.
Ford has said there would be a dollar-for-dollar tariff retaliation on American goods entering Canada. He has also said that if Trump applies tariffs, he will instruct Ontario's liquor control board to pull all American-made alcohol from shelves.
Trump has said that Canada can avoid tariffs if it becomes the 51st state and he has incorrectly claimed that the U.S. has a $200 billion deficit with its major trading partner.
Opposition parties accuse Ford of calling an early election before any potential charges emerge from a police investigation into his now-scrapped plan to develop lands under environmental protection.
Bonnie Crombie, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, said the $175 million Canadian ($121 million) the election will cost is money better spent on health care and affordable housing.
"This isn't a necessary election," Crombie told a news conference on Wednesday. "He is trying to cling to power."
Daniel Beland, a political science professor at Montreal's McGill University, said Ford is taking "a calculated risk."
"The opposition is divided between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party, which is very likely to allow him to stay in power, at least if he runs an effective campaign," said Beland.
The Ontario election is being held at the same time as the federal Liberal Party is selecting a new leader to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who announced his resignation Jan. 6. Trudeau will remain prime minister until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen on March 9.
The next Liberal leader could be the shortest-tenured prime minister in the country's history. All three opposition parties have vowed to bring down the Liberals' minority government in a no-confidence vote after parliament resumes on March 24 which would trigger a spring election.
"We need a strong leadership that is prepared to do whatever lies ahead despite the chaos we now see in Ottawa," said Ford.
"Trump's threats are not going away at a time when the federal government has left Canada drifting, exposed and vulnerable. We need a mandate that will outlive and outlast the Trump administration."
