Ford wants U.S. envoy to apologize for ‘unacceptable’ comments to Ontario trade rep
Global News
Premier Doug Ford says U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra should apologize to Ontario's trade representative over a reported expletive-laden tirade.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on the U.S. ambassador to Canada to apologize to the province’s trade representative, saying Pete Hoekstra’s behaviour was “absolutely unacceptable,” but added he felt he got “heated.”
“Pete, you gotta call Dave up and apologize, it’s simple, the cheese slipped off the cracker,” Ford said Wednesday. “I get it, you’re ticked off, but call the guy up because you’re a good guy and Dave’s my champion.”
Ford was referring to a report in the Globe and Mail that Hoekstra went on what was called an expletive-filled dressing-down against Ontario’s trade representative, David Paterson, at the annual Canadian American Business Council gala on Monday over a commercial Ford’s government released last week.
“Absolutely unacceptable, never heard anything about it. All I’m getting at, I’m not telling him, I’m suggesting, you get hot-headed one day, call Dave up and say, ‘I apologize. Sorry. Got a little heated,'” Ford said when asked if the comments were acceptable for a diplomat.
The premier said he likes Hoekstra and called him a “good guy,” but urged the ambassador to apologize and “bury the hatchet.”
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