‘We are taxed to death:’ Doug Ford says he will ask PM for tax cuts amid ongoing trade war

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks in Windsor, Ont. about need to lower taxes, including reducing the HST applied to new homes.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford will travel to Ottawa for a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney next week, where he says he will make the case for tax cuts as a way to shore up an ailing economy facing headwinds from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Ford announced the planned meeting during an unrelated news conference in Windsor on Tuesday, calling it a “heart-to-heart.”

“On Monday, I am going up to have a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister. I have told him how I feel. We have to create the environment (for economic growth),” he said. “There are just a few things we can do that can really change things. Number one, we are taxed to death; it is simple as that…. It’s economics 101. Put money in the peoples’ pockets and they are going to go out and spend it. It is as simple as going out to dinner, buying a pair of sneakers, buying a pair of jeans; it stimulates the economy.”

Trump increased the tariff rate on Canadian goods that are not covered by an existing free trade pact to 35 per cent earlier this month, prompting Ford to call for “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

Carney, however, has not taken that step so far.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Ford alluded to Trump, telling reporters that he was speaking passionately “because that guy drives me crazy down south.”

But Ontario’s premier said that his focus in Ottawa will be on pressing Carney for changes that could better position the country to weather the ongoing trade war.

Those changes, he suggested, could include various tax relief measures, including a reduction of the HST applied to new homes. He also took aim at the Bank of Canada’s decision to keep its key lending rate unchanged for three consecutive meetings, noting that “the economy at this point in time trumps inflation.”

“Let’s beat Trump at his own game. Let’s make this the most competitive place in the world because companies nowadays have choices,” Ford said. “They are either going to go to a competitive place with great smart people or they are going somewhere else and they are going to get lower taxes. We need to lower those taxes to create an environment where companies can invest.”

In recent weeks, Ford has repeatedly called for a strong response to Trump’s escalation of the trade war.

He briefly repeated that rhetoric Tuesday, telling reporters that Canadians need “to fight like they have never fought before.”

But he said that the focus now should be on making Canada “the most competitive jurisdiction in the G7.”

“Yeah, always keep an eye on Trump but let’s focus on how we can be more competitive,” he said.