LILLEY: Doug Ford's big reception in D.C. cancelled over Trump
· Toronto Sun
Doug Ford being on Donald Trump’s naughty list cost him a meeting and reception with American business leaders Monday night. A planned reception hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its Board Chair, Ross Perot Jr., was abruptly cancelled.
The meeting was one of the few that Ford’s office released details ahead of his trip.
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While the official reason given is a scheduling conflict, the real reason is the Chamber’s desire not to anger Trump. It’s unclear if there was direct pressure put on the Chamber by the White House, or if they simply read the room before cancelling and distancing themselves from Ford, but multiple sources say scheduling was not the issue.
“No … that’s not the sort of thing you accidentally double-book and notice at the last minute,” one seasoned political operative said.
Other meetings have gone forward
Ford did meet with Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota on Tuesday morning. Cramer is an ally of President Trump, but also a strong ally of Canada and has become a friend to Ford. In the afternoon, Ford was scheduled to meet with members of the House of Representatives, mainly from Michigan and New York, though his office is being tight-lipped about exactly who he is meeting with.
While Ford will likely find some agreement with those members of the House, he’s also likely to get an earful about Ontario’s booze ban and Canada’s rigid position on dairy, a key industry for both states.
Ford wanted to make a splash in Washington with his two-day trip, and despite taking a good and solid message with him, it’s a splash for all the wrong reasons. In addition to the cancelled reception, questions are being raised about the size of Ford’s entourage and the several SUVs with Ontario plates chauffeuring him and his team around D.C.
“His entourage is bigger than Carney’s,” one observer pointed out.
Ford dismissed the idea that this trip hasn’t lived up to expectations.
“We have been jammed meeting everyone down here. They rolled out the red carpet for us. They treat us so well,” Ford said insisting that the cancelled reception was just about a scheduling conflict.
Booze won’t be back on shelves anytime soon
Asked whether he would consider putting American booze back on the shelves prior to getting a deal to lift tariffs, Ford ruled that out even if the Americans threaten extra tariffs over the booze ban.
“No, no, I just want to get this deal done, and then we’ll put that booze back on the shelves,” Ford said.
While in Washington, Ford’s government released their plan called Building Fortress North America. It’s a 32-page blueprint for building a stronger economy across all of North America.
“It is time to come together on a fair trade agreement that will create more jobs, lower costs and strengthen our economic and continental security in the face of growing global competition, especially from China,” a message from Ford in the document reads.
It’s a good message, but the question is, why is this coming from the Province of Ontario rather than the federal government? This is the kind of document, the kind of plan, the kind of message that should have been coming out of Ottawa for the last 18 months.
We’ve heard of nothing but rupture, the dangers of integration, the need for new partners, and that the old relationship is over. Carney began adopting Ford’s messaging recently, including in a speech to the Economic Club of New York.
All of this may be too little too late for the Canada-U.S. relationship. We aren’t wanted at the party anymore and even when we get an invite, the party gets cancelled.