Ontario Premier Doug Ford has hailed Liberal Leader Mark Carney for his projected election triumph, promising to work closely with the new prime minister.
“I want to start off by congratulating Prime Minister Carney on his victory last night,” Ford told reporters on Tuesday morning. “I also want to congratulate all the other leaders for working hard throughout this campaign.”
“I know campaigns are very tough, but at the end of the day, the people have spoken,” Ford said.
Monday’s election shows Carney’s Liberals will form government, Global News is projecting a minority government.
Elections Canada had paused vote counting briefly but said operations resumed by 9:30 a.m. ET, as some votes still needed to be counted, with a few ridings being too close to call.
With 122 of Canada’s 343 ridings located in Ontario, the province saw an almost even split between Liberal and Conservative wins. Neither the NDP nor the Greens have picked up any seats in the province.
Ford said the federal election “comes at a crucial time for Ontario and for Canada” and that Ontario “stands ready to work with the federal government.”
“But I can tell you one thing, it’s not business as usual,” Ford said. “That’s not going to cut it. We have to make sure that we move fast, immediate, or if not, President Trump is going to eat our lunch.”
Ford shrugs off Conservative jabs
Ford also shrugged off accusations that he had been a “problem” for the federal Conservative campaign.
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Over the past few weeks, both Ford and his campaign manager were critical of Pierre Poilievre’s strategy. Tension between the federal and provincial camps bubbled through the election campaign and, after polls closed, one Conservative candidate let loose a volley of criticism
Jamil Jivani, who won Bowmanville-Oshawa North, said in an interview with CBC on election night that Ford inserted himself in the federal campaign and Conservatives should not be taking advice from him.
“He couldn’t stay out of our business,” Jivani said. “I see Doug Ford as a problem for Ontario and for Canada.”
Asked on Tuesday morning about Jivani calling him a problem, Ford said he was “not worried about that” on Tuesday morning.
The searing criticism for Jivana, who had previously worked for Ford, came after the premier and his campaign manager offered harsh words to Poilievre’s campaign after the election got underway.
Ford’s campaign manager Kory Tenycke, repeatedly and publicly, criticized the federal leader for failing to pivot after polling suggested U.S. President Donald Trump had turned the race on its head.
Before Justin Trudeau resigned and Trump began talking about Canada as the 51st state, the Conservatives maintained a massive lead. Polls suggested that the dynamic changed completely with the Trump factor, and Tenycke said Poilievre’s campaign was failing to adjust.
Ford was asked about the comments during the election and said, “Sometimes the truth hurts.” He added that if Tenycke was running the campaign, Poilievre would “not be in the position he’s in.”
The tension between the two camps continued right up until voting day.
On the eve of the election, Politico also published an interview with Ford in which he criticized Poilievre’s campaign manager and said the Conservative leader had no relationships with local leaders.
“Not at all,” he said when asked if Poilievrer had a relationship with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. “Or local mayors. Or anyone. I don’t understand it.”
After the election results were in, however, Ford shrugged off criticism from the federal Conservative camp and tried to distance himself from commenting on a difficult night for the party.
“I’m focusing on unity right across this country,” the premier said Tuesday morning.
Ring of Fire push
Ford pivoted away from internal politics to focus back on his push for federal support on major projects, like opening up the Ring of Fire.
He called on Carney to speed up approvals for critical mineral and other resource development projects, specifically the Ring of Fire.
Ford, in a statement, also asked Carney to support new nation-building infrastructure, including pipelines, highways, railways, seaports and airports to reduce reliance on the U.S., as well as bail reform, among other agenda items.
“As Premier of Ontario, I look forward to working with Prime Minister Carney to protect the workers, businesses and communities of Ontario and Canada,” Ford said.
Ontario is currently tabling a series of proposed laws and regulatory changes designed to massively reduce the steps required to get projects off the ground in areas deemed to be key to the economy.
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