Voters in Ontario will go to the polls for a provincial election at the end of February. Premier Doug Ford has confirmed that he will officially call the election on Wednesday. It will come more than a year before the fixed election date set for June of next year. Ford says he wants a strong mandate from the people of Ontario to spend the money needed to fight the tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump.
“We need a mandate from the people to fight against Donald Trump tariffs, the attack he’s coming against our families, our businesses, our communities. With a strong mandate, we will be able to fight with Donald Trump and make sure we stop the tariffs,” Ford said.
Trump has threatened Canada with 25 percent tariffs, possibly as of February 1st, and Ford says Ontario needs to be ready. Rumors of an early election had been swirling around political circles for weeks. Some groups, like Ontario Forward, representing several teacher's unions, wasted no time in launching attack ads against the Ford government.
Ad Transcript: “He promised to fix hallway medicine, but our ERs are still overcrowded. Our public schools are crumbling, and housing is becoming more unaffordable. Doug Ford, a choice we cannot afford.”
Piling on are the opposition leaders, Bonnie Crombie of the Liberals saying Ontario doesn’t need an election right now.
“The Premier’s done a great job being a showman and showing his showmanship. But right now, we need leadership. You know you can’t just slap a label on a hat, and pretend you have a plan to deal with a threat such as 25 percent tariffs on our products from south of the border,” Crombie said.
But Ford, who has been an outspoken critic of the Trump tariffs says with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepping down, he will help to provide the leadership Canada needs.
Marit Stiles, leader of the Opposition New Democratic Party, is outspoken about her disdain for Ford’s actions.
“After seven years of this guy, life has never been harder than it is today for Ontarians, and they deserve a better government that’s more honest and it’s going to bring back opportunities to the province of Ontario,” Stiles said.
Some analysts say although Ford’s polling numbers are good, there are never any guarantees. Political analyst Tom Urbaniak says the election might work against Ford if it is primarily about tariffs.
“If indeed this is the compelling reason, then this would be the worst time to call an election because Trump will probably introduce his tariffs right in the middle of the election campaign and then no one will have a mandate on the provincial level to confront that reality,” Urbaniak said.
Ford has said that half a million jobs in Ontario could be affected by the Trump tariffs. But Liberal Bonnie Crombie has a different take.
“This election shows us that the only job he’s interested in protecting is his own. It is a very self-interested and self-vested move. He’s chosen recklessness over responsibility,” Crombie said.
Analysts say the tariffs will likely dominate the election campaign and with a big lead in the polls, Ford can take several hits and still come out on top.
