Why Doug Ford may find there's little to be gained by campaigning for Poilievre

Mark Gollom · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 30, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

After Doug Ford's important bulk triumph successful Ontario, 1 mightiness deliberation Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre would beryllium racing to cozy up to the premier for assistance successful winning the important battleground state successful the national election.

Poilievre, however, said he hasn't approached the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader for assistance. Ford, meanwhile, indicated helium won't beryllium publically supporting immoderate of the candidates, insisting helium will stay retired of the run to absorption connected his province.

Ford did enactment retired of the 2019 and 2021 national campaigns. But some of his reluctance to campaign for a chap blimpish successful this predetermination whitethorn beryllium motivated by friction betwixt the 2 leaders, immoderate analysts say. And it could besides beryllium rooted successful the cognition that the Ontario premier sees little governmental summation by helping retired Poilievre.

"It would beryllium of large payment to Poilievre. I don't deliberation Ford sees a batch successful it for himself," said Andrea Lawlor, an subordinate prof of governmental subject astatine McMaster University.

Ontario will ever person a 'seat astatine the table'

Ford doesn't hazard being ignored by Poilievre if helium were to win, she said. 

"Ontario volition ever person a spot astatine the table," Lawlor said. "I deliberation successful Ford's lawsuit successful particular, he's shown that he'll enactment with anyone who has the aforesaid argumentation objectives. And I deliberation close now, they're arsenic overmuch aligned with [Liberal Leader Mark] Carney arsenic they would beryllium with Poilievre."

Ontario, with its 122 seats, volition again beryllium the cardinal to electoral victory. It would look past to beryllium successful the interest of Ford to assistance a chap blimpish similar Poilievre unafraid victory. And, that it would beryllium successful the involvement of Poilievre to marque a important effort to get Ford's support.

"Why would you not hitch your wagon to to Doug Ford?" said Julie Simmons, an subordinate prof of governmental subject astatine the University of Guelph.

Yet truthful far, determination doesn't look to beryllium immoderate effort to articulation forces. Indeed, Poilievre denied a Toronto Star communicative that helium had precocious called Ford seeking his assistance. Ford besides denied Poilievre was seeking help, but did accidental helium indicated to the Conservative person that helium would be staying retired of the national election.

Asked past week astir campaigning for Poilievre, Ford said that he's "not going to assistance anyone. That's not my job."

He added that his priority is to support Ontario moving forward. As for whether his MPPs could assistance the national Conservatives, he said they'll beryllium "absolutely swamped" with fulfilling their mandates and should be focused connected Ontario.

Ford wouldn't accidental whether he'd person a better narration with Poilievre or Carney, alternatively insisting helium volition "work with anyone."

But he conceded that it's "no secret" that he's developed adjacent relationships with immoderate national Liberal furniture ministers, including Chrystia Freeland and Dominic LeBlanc.

"I don't cognize either 1 of them, to beryllium precise frank," Ford said of Poilievre and Carney.

Yet Ford did conscionable with Carney successful March before helium was sworn successful arsenic premier curate for meal astatine an Etobicoke restaurant. He praised Carney arsenic a "gentleman" who has an "extremely astute concern mind" and "understands numbers."

Ford suggested the caller telephone telephone with Poilievre was the the archetypal clip he'd reached retired to the premier since Poilievre became Conservative leader successful 2022. 

'No emotion lost'

The information that Poilievre had seemingly waited weeks to personally congratulate Ford for his triumph raised governmental eyebrows.

"I deliberation that for sure, there's nary emotion mislaid betwixt the 2 of them," Simmons said. "I deliberation the deficiency of co-operation is much coming from the Ford broadside than the Poilievre side."

But that lack of co-operation whitethorn besides bespeak the antithetic benignant of blimpish each antheral represents, Simmons said. 

"[Poilievre] is farther to the close past Ontarians are traditionally arsenic conservatives," Simmons said.

Lawlor agreed that they some offer different strands of blimpish authorities successful Canada, and that Ford is much of a pragmatist, a "public outreach populist" who sees his occupation as serving a wide constituency.

"Whereas Poilievre's marque of conservatism is much ideological and values oriented," she said.

"They're not enemies, but they're not earthy allies either."

However determination person been reports astir atrocious blood between the Ontario Progressive Conservatives and the national Conservatives, who criticize their provincial counterparts for not being conservative enough.

But there's besides reported hostility betwixt seasoned Conservative strategist Kory Teneycke, who managed Ford's caller re-election, and Poilievre's chief strategist, Jenni Byrne. 

Teneycke recently went nationalist to blast the national campaign, saying it was headed to decision unless it pivoted and focused connected U.S. President Donald Trump.

One Conservative suggested to CBC News that the hostility — not lone betwixt Teneycke and Byrne but besides betwixt the Ontario and national Conservative leaders — amounts to a "civil war" wrong the Conservative movement.

Kathy Brock, a prof of policy studies astatine Queen's University, said it might be "dangerous for some sides" to person Ford actively run for Poilievre. 

She said Poilievre whitethorn not deliberation helium needs Ford to triumph suburban ridings successful the Greater Toronto Area, and that Ford doesn't connection immoderate vantage to bring successful votes from urban areas similar Toronto oregon Ottawa.

As for Ford, she said he may find it difficult to knock Poilievre arsenic premier curate if helium had endorsed him.

"He's going to person to each of a abrupt crook his backmost connected his ally. That's not Doug Ford and not however radical privation to spot Doug Ford," she said.

"If Carney comes in, well, he's burned an important span and he's astir apt going to endure for that."