Premier Doug Ford’s government seems to have made a new foe – Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland.

The Designated Survivor star fired off a personalized note to Ford asking him not to compare himself or his government to Sutherland’s grandfather Tommy Douglas.

Douglas, the former social-democratic Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961, is widely regarded as the father of Canadian Medicare.

The drama began when Social Services minister Lisa MacLeod penned an op-ed suggesting Douglas’s fiscally conservative government would have agreed with the policies of the Ford government.

Ford then tweeted a link to the op-ed with the quote “I think Tommy Douglas would approve.”

"It’s time to make government work for the people again — not the other way around.



I think Tommy Douglas would approve." – @MacLeodLisahttps://t.co/YWp1RoxqY9 — Doug Ford (@fordnation) June 2, 2019

That drew the ire of Sutherland who called the suggestion “offensive” and declared in a Twitter post “you Sir, are no Tommy Douglas.”

“My grandfather was fiscally responsible,” Sutherland conceded, before adding a clarification. “In addition to balancing the budget of Saskatchewan, he also provided the province with paved roads, health care and electricity. He did it all within four years.”

“Contrary to your argument, it was never at the expense of social and human services to those in need.”

Ford has been under fire for doling out a slew of budget cuts that affected municipalities, public health agencies, daycares, and school boards.

Sutherland’s post suggested those types of cuts would not have aligned with Douglas’ political principles.

“I can only ask, as the grandson of this man, for you to stop posting his picture and using his name as part of your political agenda,” Sutherland tweeted.

The Premier’s Office has not responded to a request for comment from CTV News Toronto.

MacLeod, however, fired off a tweet of her own commenting that she used to like Sutherland’s current television show Designated Survivor – in which Sutherland plays the President of the United States.

“Alas it’s more difficult to be a politician than pretend to be one on TV,” MacLeod tweeted.'