The leader of Canada's most populous province of Ontario said Friday he will be calling an election next week because he needs a mandate to fight U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs. Conservative Premier Doug Ford said he will call an early election next Wednesday.

Doug Ford, Ontario’s Conservative leader, has recently said that President Trump was “going to try to devastate our country” with a plan to impose tariffs on Canadian exports.

Due to Trump’s tariffs, Canada cannot afford to have the focus of one of its key provincial leaders diverted into trying to win an unnecessary provincial election.