A snap election in Canada's most populous province of Ontario results in the status quo.
At the end of a four-week election snap election campaign, votes have been cast and counted resulting in a legislature that is a near carbon copy of the one dissolved at the end of January.On Jan. 28, Premier Doug Ford triggered an election campaign more than a year ahead of schedule saying he needed a larger mandate from the electorate to inject tens of billions into the economy if U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs.By the end of the election night on Thursday, however, it was almost like the campaign hadn’t happened. The Progressive Conservatives were elected and leading in 80 seats compared to the 79 they had at dissolution, while the NDP was official opposition with 27 seats compared to 28 they held a month earlier.The Liberals saw the biggest gains of the night moving from nine seats to 14 — mainly absorbing seats previously held by independents. The Greens kept the two ridings they had at the end of January and independent Bobbi Ann Brady was also re-elected.The only major upset of the night was Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie who failed to win a seat in Mississauga, the city where she was mayor for almost a decade. No cabinet ministers were unseated and none of the other party leaders lost.
There is one thing that has changed, Ontario's premier has turned on Trump. Trump has made enemies of a few former friends in and Doug Ford is one of them. American's might say well, that's a fair-weather friend, but it is in response to tariffs being imposed by Trump. I get Trump not being able to stomach Justin Trudeau but in going after Canada instead of just Justin Trudeau, he's throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Canada despises Trudeau as well. Canada is trending heavily conservative and an election is imminent. There will soon be a prime minister who, if things do not escalate, will be a willing and great partner for president Trump who will work hand in hand to benefit both countries.
Not all geopolitical relationships are comprised of zero sum game. One country can only benefit at the expense of another. Most things in life, and certainly in capitalism (not crony capitalism) are in fact not zero sum game situations. The relationship between the U.S. and Canada is most definitely NOT a zero sum game. It is more typified by the idea of "a rising tide lifts all boats." Trade can be mutually beneficial, and it should be so.
As a Canadian who has vociferously supported Trump since 2016, even I am irked. That's not to say that I have stopped supporting him. I remain optimistic about what he will do for America, and as a spillover effect it will help Canada. But I have gone from robustly optimistic to merely cautiously optimistic. I hope Trump's America first does not result in making a bunch of enemies for the United States. America first does not need to result in America only.
Back to optimism; I don't believe it will. Trade can be mutually beneficial, and it should be so. Trump certainly knows this. I believe Trump is playing poker with Canada, with NATO, with Russia and the Ukraine, and even with Gaza. Or more accurately, he's staking out a position from which to start to bargaining. That's brilliant if that's the case, and I do think that IS the case. I'm irked but that is merely due to the short term implications, longer term I'm sure it will pass. Trump I'm sure is thinking long term. I'm also sure that there will be some unintended consequences. Let's hope those are kept to a minimum.
