If you ask Doug Ford who is responsible for destroying Canada, he's unwilling to direct blame to the federal Liberals, who have governed over the past decade's decline.

Instead, the Ontario premier points his finger south of the border, squarely at President Donald Trump. In Ford's opinion, Trump “wants to destroy our country” by luring manufacturing back to the United States. “We either have two choices: rollover and get runover by this guy and that'd be it, or we stand up and fight like we've never fought before,” he said.

On Tuesday's Rebel Roundup livestream, hosts Sheila Gunn Reid and Lise Merle said Ford's comments missed the mark.

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Recalling former Alberta premier Ralph Klein's efforts to promote the “Alberta advantage” of lower taxes for businesses and individuals, Sheila said Ford could do something similar to kickstart Ontario's economy — “but he's not.”

Instead, Canadian manufacturers “have been backed into a corner” by the “oppressive regulatory regime of the federal government,” Lise said.

Companies wouldn't be looking to leave Canada if it wasn't for the Liberals' mismanagement, she added. With more favourable regulations for businesses and greater economic opportunity for individuals, “we are exporting our super-high achievers that we need in Canada to keep the economy going.”

Ford could be dropping business taxes, cutting payroll taxes, or pushing the Liberals to remove carbon taxes from industrial production. “That's what would encourage these companies to stay in Canada and make Canada competitive,” Sheila said. “And Doug's not even doing the things that are within his control to get these companies to stay. He's just complaining.”