Ford's down bad, Fraser's got the rebound

Plus: Leadership hints, fresh Ford-isms, Buy Ontario regs, staff promos

ABOVE THE FOLD

IT’S COMPLICATED — The bromance between DOUG FORD and MARK CARNEY is on rocky ground amid the Chinese EV deal, with the Premier spending his Monday at ROMA sounding more like a ghosted ex rather than the Prime Minister’s tariff pit bull.

Meanwhile, the Grits have put forward their pick for interim leader (guess who?) and laid out a timeline for the leadership rulebook, which could come with big changes.

Before we dig in: DAVID PATERSON, Ontario’s trade rep in Washington, made the media rounds on prime time last night. Here’s what he had to say about the latest trade kerfuffle.

Paterson didn’t say no when CBC Power & Politics host DAVID COCHRANE asked if Carney could have avoided ticking off Ford — who has been a useful ally in the ongoing tariff fight with the U.S. — by simply giving him a heads-up about the loosening tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Paterson said there was a heads-up to certain U.S. officials, and “so there should also, I think, have been with the Premier of Onta…