Trump and Ontario's tariff response likely to dominate Ford's throne speech

CBC

15-04-2025

Ontario's legislature has returned for a shortened spring session with just over 20 days scheduled, and experts say Premier Doug Ford's throne speech is likely to focus on the continued fight against Trump's tariffs.
The house returns for the first time since Ford won his third consecutive majority government in February. That rare winter election has meant politicians have been away from the legislature at a time when it would normally be sitting.
Some strategists say the session will provide Ford's government its first opportunity to respond with targeted legislation aimed at helping businesses and workers impacted by the U.S. president's plan.
"I think the immediate priority is obviously going to be whatever supports you can provide Ontarians in the face of Trump and his tariffs," said conservative strategist Shakir Chambers.
"Getting those in place and just kind of setting the narrative for what the next four years are going to be like."
On Tuesday, Ford's government will deliver its Speech from the Throne, a formal address read by Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont that outlines the re-elected Progressive Conservatives' priorities over the next four years.
The Ontario legislature returned Monday and elected a new speaker, Donna Skelly — the first woman to serve in the prestigious role in provincial history.
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Spring session shorter due to snap winter election
The spring session will be short-lived, lasting just 23 days in total including Monday's sitting to elect the speaker. Unless the government extends the session, the house will rise for the summer on June 5.
The short session will limit the legislation the government can pass before the summer, said Chambers, who is a vice president with consulting firm Oyster Group. But he expects Ford will want to unveil some new bills, including a push to improve interprovincial trade and project permitting.
"The premier was pretty clear on the campaign trail," Chambers said. "It takes way too long to get things built in this province. How can you speed up those timelines?"
Early last week, the government announced $11 billion in tax deferrals and relief for businesses hit hard by tariffs. But NDP strategist Mélanie Richer says that after Ford's promises on the campaign trail people across the province now expect he'll announce additional programs for workers affected by the trade war — and the shortened session means that could be challenging.
"It's not a lot of days, and folks are rightly worried and looking to Premier Ford and the government to follow through," said Richer, a principal at Earnscliffe Strategies.
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Former Liberal cabinet minister John Milloy said he thinks Ford won't actually be around Queen's Park much if the damage from Trump's tariffs continues to grow.
"I think Premier Ford is going to have to show a lot of empathy," said Milloy, who is now the director of the Centre for Public Ethics at Martin Luther University College.
"I mean, if I was advising him, I would say, go out there and talk to laid off workers, talk to businesses that are struggling and be seen as someone on their side."
McMaster University political science professor Peter Graefe said he hopes the throne speech will give Ontarians a better idea of how the re-elected Ford government will translate their "Protect Ontario" election theme into action.
"I think the government had the big challenge in that already before the election, people were wondering if it was more or less out of ideas," he said. "So part of it will be to say, well, 'These are the things we feel we got consent to do,' and to see whether Ontarians, in fact, agree that they gave their consent for the government to move those things forward."
Graefe also expects the government will lean into building large infrastructure projects, like Highway 413 and the tunnel under Highway 401. In a campaign that was dominated by tariffs, the tunnel was one of the most notable and expensive promises made by Ford, he said.
"It could, of course, also be, not only the biggest infrastructure project, but also the biggest boondoggle to the extent that the possibility of cost overruns would be large," Graefe said of the project, which some experts estimate will costs tens of billions of dollars.
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Milloy says he'll be watching how the NDP, Liberal and Green opposition members try to break through and hold the government to account during the new session.
The election saw the NDP hang onto the role of official opposition by winning 27 seats. The Liberals made gains to once again become a recognized official party, with the funding bump that comes with it, by winning 14 seats. The Green Party held their two seats in the legislature.
"The Liberal Party and the NDP as well, even throwing the Greens in, are in a very awkward situation, because the only issue that people want to talk about is Trump and the tariffs and the fallout," Milloy said.