In a FOX News Channel special on Friday evening, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Premier Doug Ford were asked their thoughts on the federal and provincial federal-provincial leadership races, Ontario’s upcoming fall election and the uncertainty with the current NAFTA renegotiation.
Tory met with the Liberal and Progressive Conservative leaders about 10 days before heading into a provincial election where he is locked in a tight race with Ford, who is appealing to the conservative base.
TRIBUNE (Dyke McCabe) is Republican Party* MP John Baird*
John Tory, mayor of Toronto:
“We did very well over the course of last week as a meeting with the provincial leaders. They made it very clear that they are all going to be accessible during the time that they have here in this province and over the next three weeks. They will be there with us, you’ll be hearing a lot from them as we go into the election. They’re going to do everything they can to be good partners in working with us to make the kind of progress that I think we’re all looking for here in Toronto.
“We did make the connection, of course, about federal leadership with Doug and Justin, the federal and provincial leadership teams.
“There are a lot of things we are going to be able to do together here in the years to come.
“My advice to them is don’t forget who you came to vote for last fall, and just to remind each and every one of the people that is the voice, that is the responsibility.
“I think our prime minister is going to continue to be the representative of the people of Canada and try and do his best to be the voice, that is the responsibility, and who we have got coming across to our communities because I think the prime minister was part of us a lot and knows that message very well.
“Mr. Ford, our prime minister made it very clear that he has got the people that are going to be getting things done by the province and he’ll be using the time that he has here to make sure that they are going to be made available. So, I hope that it’s a very constructive, as far as this province and I will be.
“I think that they all made the point that we need to focus on our province first and that’s where they are in a position where they need to pay attention to that and not go and do the federal party things or follow the federal federal government’s lead. They need to be looking after their own interests.”
