There cannot be many better examples of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” than the scene that played out on Wednesday morning at a medical building on the northern edge of Toronto.
asserted
that → play → Toronto
When Mélanie Joly, the federal minister of industry, took to the podium to celebrate the opening of Sanofi’s new vaccine manufacturing facility, backed by money from all three levels of government, she did the usual thing of noting the dignitaries present, which included, as she nodded toward the Ontario premier, “my dear Doug.”
asserted
she → take → Doug
When it was dear Doug’s turn to speak, Ford called Joly “my favourite minister,” then joked about the other federal ministers who would be calling him to complain that he had used that particular adjective about Joly.
asserted
he → speak → Joly
He name-dropped a couple: Dominic LeBlanc.
asserted
He → drop → couple
It bears repeating at this point that these are Liberals, a party that Ford has suggested has been overrun by pinko hippies at other moments of his political career.
uncertain
Ford → bear → career
But evidently when you find yourself in a trade war — and sovereignty fight — with your large and powerful neighbour, the usual alliances are tossed aside.
asserted
alliances → find → neighbour
There are no partisans in foxholes, it would seem.
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it → be → foxholes
The Conservative premier wasn’t done there.
asserted
premier → do → ?
Before he began his prepared remarks, Ford shouted out Mark Carney, who hosted his Canada Investment Summit in Toronto on Monday and Tuesday as Ottawa seeks to attract infrastructure money from around the globe.
asserted
Ottawa → begin → globe
“The prime minister did a spectacular job,” Ford said of the conference, and gushed about how he had met potential institutional investors from a number of countries.
asserted
he → do → countries
“Team Canada was united in our pitch,” he said.
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he → unite → pitch
Ford had specific praise for the federal announcement of a significant tax break on capital spending, which he claimed was built on similar moves made by Ontario.
asserted
he → have → Ontario
“I want to thank the prime minister for doing that,” Ford said.
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Ford → want → that
Later, when the premier was asked about Carney’s announcement that Ottawa will seek private investment in the operation of four of the country’s largest airports including Toronto Pearson, he didn’t hesitate.
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he → ask → Pearson
“I think it’s fabulous,” Ford said.
asserted
Ford → think → ?
“I’ve got to give credit where credit is due, the prime minister is on fire.”
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minister → get → fire
Ford has long been complimentary of Carney, but even for him this was laying it on a bit thick.
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this → lay → it
And it suggests he is confident enough in his position, buoyed by a couple of byelection wins, that he isn’t worried what someone who voted both for him and Pierre Poilievre would think of such talk.
uncertain
who → suggest → talk
But mostly I think it demonstrates that Ford, at this moment in time, very much sees himself on the side of anyone who is also fighting Donald Trump.
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who → think → Trump
As if to illustrate the point, when a reporter asked Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow about progress on a new funding deal with the province, Ford chimed in to declare that he had “a phenomenal relationship” with the left-wing mayor.
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he → illustrate → mayor
“We’re going to continue to support the mayor.
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We → go → mayor
She’s doing an incredible job.”
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She → do → job
“Read between the lines,” Ford said.
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Ford → read → lines
Another question about airport privatization came up, and the premier said he “supports it one thousand per cent.”
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he → come → it
He couldn’t speak to the specifics of the federal plan, he said, so he handed it off to Joly.
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he → speak → Joly
Or, “Mel,” as he called her.
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he → call → her
At this point an observer could be forgiven for looking around for the secret cameras that indicated this was all one big prank, where would-be political foes were pretending to get along famously.
uncertain
foes → forgive → cameras
But, nope: “Isn’t it phenomenal how we are all working together,” Ford asked, rhetorically.
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Ford → work → ?
“There are basically three political colours here,” he continued.
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he → be → ?
“I’ve always said I don’t give two hoots about political stripes.”
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I → say → stripes
He asked one more rhetorical question: “Isn’t that what the people want?”
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people → ask → what
Tariff and trade issues are repeatedly shown to be top-of-mind for many Canadians, and Trump’s occasional annexation musings only give those concerns added urgency.
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musings → show → urgency
There almost certainly is a large constituency of voters who care more about a unified response to America’s antagonism than their usual partisan preferences.
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who → care → preferences
This could, obviously, all fall apart.
uncertain
This → fall → ?
It might even have come close to doing so last month, when Ford was urging Carney not to take a bad trade deal with the United States.
uncertain
Ford → come → States
But the Conservative premier and the Liberal prime minister are aligned now, and Ford isn’t shy about saying so.
asserted
Ford → align → ?
“We’re in the battle of our lives with President Trump,” Ford said.
asserted
Ford → ’re → Trump
The Aporia
