Wynne says she is concerned about impact Trump victory may have on trade

Premier Kathleen Wynne says she is “concerned” that Ontario’s economy will be negatively affected by Donald Trump’s “shocking” election south of the border.

Wynne made the comment to CTV News on Wednesday afternoon, less than 12 hours after Trump emerged victorious in the presidential election.

“We have a very strong relationship – Ontario and the United States – and I am concerned that we not undermine that and that there not be a break in that relationship,” Wynne said. “We need that trade partnership and I think it is actually mutually beneficial.”

During the presidential campaign, Trump vowed to rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and take a closer look at cross-border trade in general.

That rhetoric, Wynne said, has left her experiencing some “anxiety” with the prospect of the business mogul and former reality show host occupying the Oval Office.

The United States is by far Ontario’s biggest trade partner with 80.52 per cent of the province’s exports destined for the country. The largest share of those exports are sent to Michigan (24.57 per cent) and California (13.42 per cent).

“I think there is a danger in the undermining of our trade relationships and I think that there is a danger to the economy of both of our countries if we believe that to compete in the global economy you can build a protectionist wall,” Wynne said. “We are in a global economy now and there are forces well beyond our borders we need to interact with. My anxiety comes from the fact that if that is not the case (in the U.S.) what will that look like.”

Building a fair society key in wake of Trump victory

Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election shocked pollsters and pundits who had given the Republican candidate little chance at winning but Wynne told CP24 in a subsequent interview on Wednesday that the result is yet another indicator that there are large factions of people who don’t feel like their interests are being represented by mainstream political parties.

“I think the key lesson is that we need to continue to build a fair society – that if we don’t listen to the voices of people who are saying you left me behind we will not thrive as an economy,” Wynne said. “That is what I take from what happened. Building a fair society and fair economy is what we need to do. That’s why we have focused on getting better retirement security and that’s why we have an Ontario Child Care Benefit to help kids who are living in poverty. All of that makes our society fairer and there is more that we have to do.”

Wynne told CP24 that she believes Trump’s victory was made possible by scores of Americans who voted against a system that they felt in their “deepest hearts” was not working for them.

The lesson, Wynne said, is that political parties need to implement policies that will allow “everyone to thrive” and not just a select few. She said this is particularly important in Ontario, where the province’s economy is currently transitioning from one based in the manufacturing sector.

“We need to make sure that we support business in this very tumultuous time of transition from a traditional economy of resource extraction and manufacturing to a knowledge economy,” she said. “Those are easy words to say but that is not an easy process to go through.”

Wynne not concerned with poll numbers

Wynne’s interview with CP24 on Wednesday came during a turbulent time for her government.

Last week, Ontario Provincial Police charged Wynne’s former deputy chief of staff Patricia Sorbara with two counts of bribery under the Elections Act in connection with the Sudbury byelection scandal.

Wynne’s poll numbers have also hit new lows of late.

One Mainstreet/ Postmedia poll released on Monday revealed that Wynne’s approval rating is only 15 per cent and that 58 per cent of respondents believe she should resign.

Another poll released by Forum Research two weeks ago found that 49 per cent of Ontario residents don’t even expect Wynne to lead the Liberal party into the next election.

Speaking with CP24, Wynne admitted that the charges against Sorbara have “obviously” affected her personally and been “difficult” to deal with but she said the matter is now best left for the courts.

As for the poll numbers, the premier said she doesn’t want to read too much into them, especially in light of Trump’s seemingly improbable triumph in the U.S.

“When I am asked about polls I always say that there is a poll every four years and another lesson we took from last night is that polls come and go. Polls are not always accurate,” she said.