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Duguid’s remarks followed a speech for the Canadian Club Toronto by former TD Bank Group chief executive Ed Clark, who outlined the province’s plan.

Clark serves as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s business adviser, and said she asked him to steer the province’s approach to helping cities make the official bids for Amazon’s HQ2, which the company has said will include $5 billion in construction investment and up to 50,000 “high-paying” jobs.

Clark predicted Ontario would win Amazon’s sweepstakes for its second North American headquarters if politics don’t come into play. The protectionist Trump White House has no great affection for one of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ other ventures, The Washington Post newspaper.

“If that’s not a constraint, we’re hands-down the winner,” Clark said.

But Ontario’s angle also stands in contrast to the bid offered by New Jersey, where Governor Chris Christie announced this week up to $7 billion in potential tax incentives over 10 years for Amazon to locate HQ2 in Newark.

“The Ontario government is not offering any new financial incentives to Amazon – nor any incentives that are not available to others who seek to grow or locate such jobs here,” Clark said.

“I think when someone gives you the ($7 billion), they’re saying ‘I’m not actually competitive, you would never come here if I didn’t give you this money,’” he told reporters later. “That is what those governments are saying, and we’re saying you should come here, because this is the right place.”