The question of whether or not the prime minister and his chief of staff saw and approved — either directly or tacitly — an Ontario government anti-tariff ad that set off U.S. President Donald Trump followed Mark Carney to Singapore on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister's Office said there would be no further comment on the television ad, which last week led to the meltdown of sectoral trade negotiations with the United States.

Speaking on background, a senior federal official continued to place the responsibility for the marketing campaign on the government of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, despite the prime minister’s assurance that Ottawa is in charge of negotiations.

"This decision was made by the government of Ontario, and the federal government was not involved in the production or distribut

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