Kinew a fan of Ontario anti-tariff ad

Premier Wab Kinew is backing Ontario’s anti-tariff ad campaign that U.S. President Donald Trump blamed for his decision to halt trade negotiations with Canada.

The advertisement, which runs on American television networks and is paid for by the Ontario government, features historical footage of U.S. president Ronald Reagan discussing the use of tariffs and trade barriers — something, he said, he did not support in the long run.

Trump said on social media late Thursday he was ceasing all trade negotiations as a result of the ad, which he called fake.

In a slickly produced video posted on social media Friday, Kinew shared his take on Reagan’s 1987 address and backed Ontario’s ad.

He said he believes the Ontario ad “accurately and powerfully” presents the views of the conservative Reagan on tariffs.

“It’s clear that these ads are working. If you throw a rock at a lake and you don’t hear a splash, you’ve probably missed,” Kinew said in his video. “So, to my good friend Doug Ford — keep the ads on TV. They’re effective, and this country is behind you.”

The New Democrat said he thinks Trump’s tariff policies go against Reagan’s legacy.

Kinew’s spokesman, Ryan Stelter, said the premier had no further  comment and that the video stands on its own.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on social media Friday afternoon that Ontario would pause the advertising campaign effective Monday, after he discussed it with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

“Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels,” said Ford, adding the ads will run during World Series games over the weekend.

“In speaking with Prime Minister Carney, Ontario will pause its U.S. advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume.”

When asked about Ford’s new comments, Stelter said the premier still stands by what he said in the video.

The Ontario ad focuses on comments Reagan made during a radio address in 1987, in which he discussed duties on Japanese products that had been put in place by his government.

While defending the move to slap duties on specific products, he said such trade barriers hurt workers and consumers over the long run and that prosperity for all nations would come through rejecting protectionist legislation.

Further, Reagan said, high tariffs lead to retaliation, the triggering of trade wars and the shrinking of markets and shuttering of businesses and industries.

Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, said while he agrees with the message behind the ads and with Kinew’s comments, he hopes temperatures will cool down and negotiations will resume.

“It’s fact-based information that we’ve said all along, with regards to the issue around tariffs, that we’re opposed to them, and when we talk to our counterparts south of the border, they’re opposed to them as well,” said Davidson.

“Unfortunately, the broader issue is that the president decides that that’s enough… negotiations with Canada are off, which is not exactly the path we’re hoping for. We’re looking to get a deal as quickly as we can.”

“We’d love for the temperature to come down and for them to sit down and recognize the importance of the relationship between our two countries.”

He questioned whether Trump’s latest move is just another negotiating tactic.

“I think what Ontario did is a little bit of a stick in the eye to the president, he’s responded, he’s poked back… and at the end of day it’s this political football… We’d love for the temperature to come down and for them to sit down and recognize the importance of the relationship between our two countries.”

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

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