Ontario Premier Doug Ford says what’s happening in Ottawa today is a strong illustration of the importance of premiers working together for the benefit of Canadians.

The Council of the Federation met in Toronto today while the political drama unfolds in Ottawa.

Host Premier Doug Ford – who last week promised a strict and swift response should threatened tariffs be imposed on Canadian goods bound for the United States – says today’s discussions focused on Canada/US relations, energy security, and speeding up approvals for life-saving medications.Ford says the premiers agree that the most pressing risk to the Canadian economy is the threat of US tariffs.

“The imposition of tariffs, would be a significant failure on the part of the federal government. To protect workers, we need a full Team Canada approach. That means that the federal government needs to do better in engaging premiers as it deals with a threat of tariffs, with regular meetings with the Prime Minister and whoever is on his team that takes the role in US relations.”