In the wacky world of politics, it’s always helpful if you can find a political opponent who is the complete antithesis of your political ideology.
In that context, Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford were made for each other.
Ford played the anti-Trudeau card often during the provincial election campaign, railing against the prime minister’s carbon tax plan and threatening to spend $30 million to fight the tax in court.
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Ford’s base just plain hates Liberals and seems to share a special revulsion for the prime minister, so they gleefully applaud any political barb that Ford directs toward the federal government.
But that door swings both ways.
Trudeau has scored significant political points with voters with his tough stand against the bully in the White House, and now, Ford’s ultra-right-wing agenda gives the Liberals a Canadian version of the perfect political foil.
It’s not unusual for Ottawa and Queen’s Park to cross swords on key issues, but it seems that Trudeau and Ford may take that battle to a new level.
Ford will continue to portray the prime minister as an ideological elitist, much to the delight of many of the 40 per cent who voted for him, while the Liberals will try to appeal to the 60 per cent who didn’t support Ford and cast him as a political Luddite.
The two leaders couldn’t be more different and it appears that both are playing on those differences to solidify their political bases.
Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML