The National Post reports in its Friday, Jan. 23, edition that Prime Minister Mark Carney's canola-for-cars trade deal with China is good for Canada, but it is clearly a blow to Ontario. The Post s Randall Denley writes that Mr. Carney's surprise move was a political sucker punch for Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Just to make the snub a bit worse, Mr. Carney flew Scott Moe to China so the Saskatchewan Premier could personally witness the sweet deal his province got on canola. Mr. Ford said he "never got an invite." The numbers behind Mr. Carney's decision to favour Saskatchewan over Ontario suggest why Mr. Ford might have been a little surprised by the move. Canada got renewed access to China as a market for Western canola, a deal Mr. Moe valued at $3.1-billion. Canadian total canola exports to all markets were worth about $15-billion in 2023, before China slapped them with tariffs. Vehicles are Ontario's largest export at 14.8 per cent of its total exports. There is a base assumption in Ontario that the province is important to the federal government. Now it seems that base assumption is off base. For Mr. Ford, that will mean standing up for Ontario and doing it. Being the Prime Minister's buddy does not seem to work.