Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed on Monday that Prime Minister Mark Carney contacted him multiple times from Asia, urging him to withdraw an advertisement campaign that has been linked to the breakdown of trade negotiations with the United States. Carney advised Ford against airing an ad featuring excerpts of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan’s critical comments on tariffs.
In response to Carney’s recent remarks, Ford declined to disclose specifics of their discussions but asserted a differing recollection of their conversations. The dispute over the ad led to U.S. President Donald Trump halting trade discussions, with Ford eventually agreeing to cease the campaign after a brief delay, during which it continued to air through World Series broadcasts.
Ford acknowledged Carney’s repeated requests from Asia to halt the ads, confirming that they were paused as planned on Monday. Despite this issue, Ford emphasized that he maintains a positive relationship with Carney. Carney expressed regret to Trump for the ad’s impact, a move that Ford claimed he was not informed about in advance.
While Ford defends the advertisement, citing its extensive viewership and influence on a U.S. Senate resolution, the original $75 million campaign has now been discontinued, reducing costs for taxpayers. The government has not provided a final expenditure report, but Ford remains optimistic about the ad’s impact. Although trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. have yet to resume, the Canadian government has expressed readiness to resume negotiations from where they left off.