A re-elected PC government will tear down internal trade barriers and support nation-building infrastructure and resource development projects
Milton, February 20, 2025 — In the face of President Trump’s ongoing threats against Canada’s sovereignty and economic security, Doug Ford outlined his plan to build a stronger Canadian economy by abolishing internal trade barriers, supporting cross-country infrastructure projects, developing our critical minerals and natural resources and strengthening Canada’s defence sector.
“With a renewed sense of patriotism, Canadians from coast to coast to coast are uniting in defence of our country and making clear to President Trump and the world that Canada is not for sale. We will never be the 51st state,” said Doug Ford. “Now, we need to back these words up with bold actions by strengthening the economic ties that bind our country together. We need to unite and stand together in defence of the true north, strong and free.”
Doug Ford was joined by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who announced his endorsement of Ford and the Ontario PCs in next week’s election.
“Doug Ford has been an incredible partner and a strong leader on the national stage, helping stand up for Canada and protect workers and jobs in the face of President Trump’s tariffs,” said Tim Houston. “I look forward to working with him and a re-elected Ontario PC government to protect Canada’s economy and independence, including by tearing down internal trade barriers and supporting nation-building projects, including pipelines like Energy East, that make our country stronger and more prosperous than ever before.”
A re-elected PC government will support Canadian sovereignty and economic prosperity by implementing and advocating for policies that make our country more united and self-reliant.
Just like Canada’s first nation-building project, the Canadian Pacific Railway, new cross-country infrastructure projects and resource development projects can bind our country together, reduce dependence on the United States and create new opportunities for Canadian workers and communities. A re-elected PC government will build Canada by:
- Supporting pipelines, rail lines and other critical infrastructure projects that create greater export opportunities for Canada’s oil, gas, critical minerals, agricultural and other natural resources to reach new markets. A re-elected PC government stands ready to support Energy East, Northern Gateway and pipeline projects to Canada’s northern coast. With renewed American cooperation and partnership, Ontario would support the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline project.
- Advocating that the federal government remove unnecessary federal barriers and red tape from major projects under provincial jurisdiction, including scrapping redundant and wrongheaded impact assessment requirements that unnecessarily raise costs and slow down approvals for nation-building projects like Ontario’s new grid-scale nuclear power plants and critical mineral projects in the Ring of Fire.
- Advocating for a new federal infrastructure program that provides predictable and long-term funding, particularly for trade-related infrastructure such as airports, ports and transportation infrastructure to help diversify Canada’s economy.
Internal trade barriers cost Canada’s economy up to $200 billion every year, reduce our national GDP by up to 7.3 per cent and add up to 14.5 per cent to the costs of goods and services the Canadians purchase across the country. A re-elected PC government will work to strengthen our economy and abolish these barriers by:
- Removing all of Ontario’s remaining party-specific exemptions following a final assessment under the Canada Free Trade Agreement and encouraging all other provinces to follow suit.
- Supporting labour mobility across Canada by streamlining credential recognition for certified professionals, expanding existing exemptions to more credentialed occupations and reducing existing labour mobility exceptions.
- Fighting red tape that blocks interprovincial trade by recognizing regulatory standards and certifications across Canada with Regulatory Recognition Agreements for key sectors such as trucking. These will ensure that a good or service that is sold or used in one province or territory can be readily sold or used in all provinces and territories by default.
- Investing $50 million to launch the new Ontario Together Trade Fund to support businesses that make near-term investments to service more interprovincial customers, develop new markets and re-shore critical supply chains.
- Immediately enabling direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol products with all willing provinces and territories, which will provide new markets for Ontario wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries and more choice for Ontario consumers, as well as for producers and consumers across Canada.
Protecting Ontario and Canada starts with ensuring we are meeting our national and international security and defence obligations. A re-elected PC government will do its part by:
- Strongly advocating that the federal government immediately increase defence spending to meet and exceed Canada’s minimum two per cent NATO commitment and link procurement to domestic economic development opportunities.
- Investing $200 million for the Shipbuilding Grant Program under Ontario’s Marine Transportation Strategy to help make Ontario’s shipbuilding industry a full regional partner under the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and secure Canadian contracts to build, retrofit, and repair Canadian Navy ships in Ontario.
- Creating a new Defence Security Investment Tax Credit to attract greater investment and job creation in the province and help meet our two per cent of GDP NATO commitment, including by supporting investments in innovative critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to support the future of defence technologies.
- Providing $50 million more to Venture Ontario, the province’s venture capital agency, to make dedicated capital fund investments to support domestic start-ups in strategic technology areas that support our national defence.
Doug Ford and the Ontario PCs also received the endorsement of Milton Mayor Gord Krantz, who urged Milton residents to vote for their local Ontario PC candidate.
“Doug Ford and I have been friends and colleagues for many years,” said Krantz. “He led Ontario through some tough times and I am confident in his ability to continue to lead us through another period of turbulence with the threat of tariffs and trade uncertainty on the horizon. He has proven himself able to protect Ontario businesses and the broader economy. His commitment to bringing two-way, all-day GO to Milton and his support on a range of local issues show that he understands what is necessary to support Milton. Doug has always been receptive to the needs of Miltonians. I’m proud to call Doug a friend and provide him with my full endorsement this election.”
Only Doug Ford has a plan to protect Ontario:
- Building Ontario’s economy by investing more than $200 billion in our plan to build roads, highways, transit and other infrastructure projects while investing over $2.5 billion to train more than one million people for better jobs and bigger paycheques in the skilled trades.
- Protecting workers in the face of President Trump’s tariffs by doing whatever is necessary to protect people’s livelihoods, including by investing tens of billions of dollars to keep people working.
- Keeping us competitive by fighting the job-killing Liberal carbon tax and urging the federal government to cut red tape and streamline approvals to get big things built.
- Cleaning up our streets by protecting families and children by banning drug injection sites near schools and daycares and clearing out encampments from public parks with new investments in shelters.
- Delivering better care, including by investing $1.8 billion more to connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor and primary care.
Doug Ford will never stop working to protect Ontario.
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