Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he's not backing away from threats he recently made about a major trade retaliation against the U.S. in the event President-elect Donald Trump follows through on a 25% tariff against Canadian goods.Trump said recently he's considering the tariff against Canada and Mexico due to the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S. In response, Ford said Canada would consider stopping energy exports to the U.S., potentially affecting millions of Americans."We are not backing away whatsoever," said Ford Monday at the fall meeting of the Council of the Federation."We have to stand up for Canadians. Each jurisdiction (province) has its own needs and concerns. I understand that, but as a country, we can't be rolled over. We have to stand up and protect Canadians as a whole."Ford said Canada needs to make sure it meets its 2% NATO commitment. It must also secure the Canada /U.S. border. He said provinces must also keep an eye on China's shipping of "cheap parts" through Mexico — harming Canadian and U.S. jobs."We need to take care of those three issues, then we can move forward on talking to our American counterparts," he said. Does Ford have confidence in the Trudeau Liberals to manage a potential trade war with Trump?"All the premiers are going to be at the table," he said. "That's our job. We are ready. We will rise up to the occasion, I can tell you that."In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith has already taken action to enhance security on the southern border. She launched a new program to send dozens of Alberta Sheriffs to patrol the U.S./Canada border to stem the flow of contraband and migrants.
