Ontario Premier Doug Ford will call a snap election next Wednesday, to be held on Feb. 27. Although he has a large majority government and is leading in most polls by more than 20 points, Ford wants a “very strong mandate” to take on U.S. President Donald Trump and his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products.

Is this a wise strategy? The answer is twofold. While there’s always a risk in calling an early election, Ford’s personal popularity and his government’s track record should be enough to win a third consecutive election. Whether he’ll be in a better position to deal with Trump’s tariffs is a huge question mark.