The re-election of Prime Minister Doug Ford on Thursday evening was watched closely by federal Conservatives seeking lessons on how to return his party to power after three consecutive electoral defeats.
The main conclusion of experts from various parties, including those who help with leadership campaigns, was that federal conservatives must emulate Ford’s blue-collar message and build a new coalition of voters to confront the Liberal Party. by Justin Trudeau.
Read more: Progressive Conservatives in Ontario win another majority government
“This majority is a testament to the hard and relentless work of Doug Ford and Mount McNaughton over the past four years to build relationships and trust with union workers,” said Melanie Paradis, who served as communications director for former Conservative leader Erin O ‘Toole.
“Blue-collar workers should vote absolutely conservative, but we haven’t appealed to them in years. Now they know that Ford is turning its back on them … I hope the Conservative movement adopts it nationally.”
The story continues under the ad
Global News projected on Thursday night that Ford’s computers will return to Queen’s Park with a majority mandate, securing at least the 63 seats needed to hold power in the legislature.
The Ontario NDP under Andrea Horwath is expected to form the official opposition again, and Steven Del Duca’s Liberals were expected to finish in third place. Until Thursday evening, it was unclear whether Del Duca would win the race for the Vaughan-Woodbridge seat.
On Thursday night there were many federal Conservatives talking about the Etobicoke Convention Center, celebrating a provincial victory for the Conservatives after repeated losses at the federal level.
Trend stories
-
Toronto dog allegedly left in hot car to die, second death for dog walker
-
Trudeau calls reports of Chinese fighter jets buzzing Canadian planes “extremely worrying”
1:17 Ontario Elections 2022: Ford had “disciplined performance” in remaining absent during campaign, says Conservative MP Elections 2022: Ford had “disciplined performance” in remaining absent during campaign, says the Conservative MP
O’Toole made proposals to organized workers, and those close to the former Conservative leader hoped to emulate the success of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in winning the blue collar vote.
The story continues under the ad
Read more: NDP and PC position themselves as pro-work parties, each with new endorsements
O’Toole was a disappointment, however. Ford, meanwhile, had secured the endorsement of several private-sector unions in its attempt to secure another majority mandate.
Throughout the problems of the federal Conservative in recent years, strategists and employees of various fields have said that winning is the best way to silence their opponents. But the win has been tough with both Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole.
Party experts tell Global News that it is uncertain that after a particularly unpleasant leadership race, whoever ends up leading the party can keep the coalition together. Pierre Poilievre, the alleged favorite of the race, has campaigned sharply by painting his main opponent, Jean Charest, as a liberal.
2:12 Who won the Conservative Party leadership debate? Who won the Conservative Party leadership debate? – May 12, 2022
Global News speaks with strategists from multiple federal leadership campaigns Thursday afternoon. Aside from looking for a new coalition of voters, the consensus was that Ford’s authenticity – what you see is what you get – was another asset in his candidacy for a second majority term.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.