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Premiers Split on Using Potash as a Trade Weapon — What It Means for Your Grocery Bill

  Published August 31, 2026 Canada's premiers can't agree on how far to take the trade war with the United States — and this week, the fight is over a grey mineral mined almost 2,000 kilometres from Ottawa: potash. The disagreement matters well beyond provincial politics. Potash is the "P" and "K" of fertilizer economics — a key ingredient in the blends that grow the wheat, canola, and corn that eventually show up as bread, canola oil, and everything fed to livestock. Canada supplies about 85% of the potash the U.S. uses, which is exactly why some premiers see it as leverage — and why others are warning that pulling that lever could backfire on the very provinces pushing for it. Ford wants to pull the lever. Moe and Smith are warning not to. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pushing for the toughest response available, including resource-based leverage. Saskatchewan's Scott Moe and Alberta's Danielle Smith are pumping the brakes, warning that squeezing po...

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NDP Blasts Ford for Washington Trip: Ethics Complaint Filed Over Alleged Partisan Use of Taxpayer Funds

 

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has formally lodged an ethics complaint with the province’s Integrity Commissioner over Premier Doug Ford’s recent Washington, D.C. trip. The complaint alleges that Ford blurred the lines between official government business and partisan campaigning by leveraging taxpayer-funded travel for electioneering purposes. A campaign-style video—initially posted with the Progressive Conservative party logo—has come under fire for suggesting that the trip was used to boost his re-election campaign, even after the logo was later removed. 

Ford made the trip in his capacity both as Ontario’s premier and as chair of the Council of the Federation, meeting with U.S. lawmakers to counter potential punitive tariffs amid threats from President Donald Trump. Despite assertions that the visit was intended to serve Ontario’s economic interests, Stiles argues that such actions constitute a misuse of public funds. “His actions have repeatedly and intentionally blurred the lines between official provincial business and partisan promotion,” she stated, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. 

Critics from both the NDP and Liberal ranks contend that the trip, especially during the middle of a snap election, undermines democratic integrity by prioritizing political gain over the public good. The complaint calls for an investigation into whether government resources were inappropriately used to produce campaign content and whether proper protocols were followed during the trip. 

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