Whirlwind in the capital

And a polling curveball

ABOVE THE FOLD

Monday’s off to a whirlwind start: the AMO conference has the political crowd flocking to Ottawa, Premier DOUG FORD and Prime Minister MARK CARNEY are getting in some quality bromance-time, and a fresh poll is dishing up intrigue on the future of the Liberal leadership. Buckle up — it’s going to be a week.

PREMIER’S PITCH — Ford is headed to the capital for a low-key “heart-to-heart” with PM Carney, aiming to press for tax relief as a spark for growth. The pair will take part in a photo-op in Carney’s office around 9:30 a.m., followed by a potential media scrum with Ford in the West Block around 10:20 a.m.

What Ford wants: both personal and corporate tax cuts, and he’s floating a temporary tax break on home purchases to bolster the housing market. But but but: He’s since softened his push to slash the HST, after having his “knuckles wrapped” by Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY.

Ford frames this as more than just economic tinkering — under trade pressures from the U.S., …