Provincial elections in Ontario are on Thursday, June 2nd. Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford is seeking a second term in a race that also includes NPD leader Andrea Horwath, Liberal leader Steven Del Duca and Greens’ Mike Schreiner.
Before Thursday’s votehere’s what you need to know about PC, NPD, Liberal and Green leaders, party platforms, campaign staff and more.
Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford is holding a campaign stop in Oakville on Friday, May 27th. Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press
Progressive conservatives
Doug Ford
Age: 57
Horse riding: Etobicoke North, a riding that won for the first time in the 2018 election. Before entering provincial politics, Mr. Ford served as City Council of Toronto from 2010 to 2014.
Leader Elections: This is the second election of Mr. Ford as the leader in PC. He was elected leader in March 2018 in a tumultuous 44-day campaign following the abrupt resignation of then-leader Patrick Brown. In the June 7 election of that year, Mr. Ford led the PC in a 76-seat majority with 40.5 percent of the popular vote.
Key Promises: Computers work with optimism, are committed to building highways and hospitals, and attracting new jobs to the automotive industry. The party did not launch a platform, but made major funding announcements in the later stages of government. His 2022 budget was not approved before the election, but the party said it would reclaim those funding pledges if re-elected.
- Housing: PCs have pledged to add 1.5 million new homes to the province over the next 10 years.
- Health care: As a government, the party introduced what it called a plan to stay open with a focus on building more health infrastructure and expanding the workforce to ensure Ontario is better prepared for any future emergency. If re-elected, the party has promised to spend $ 40 billion over the next 10 years to increase the system’s capacity by building new hospitals and renovating existing facilities.
- Transportation: One of the main pillars of the party’s re-election bid is $ 25.1 billion proposed over the next 10 years to build road infrastructure, including the controversial 413 freeway. dollars for 10 years for the public. traffic.
Campaign slogan: “Do it”.
Campaign Team: Kory Teneycke is leading the campaign, having led the 2018 election campaign that brought PCs to power. Mr. Teneycke, who was communications director for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, took over as head of the re-election campaign last spring and has since been credited with giving the government a new direction and discipline. The campaign team also includes Nick Kouvalis, Amin Massoudi, Michael Case and Cody Welton.
Kelly Cryderman of The Globe outlined the PC leader: Is Doug Ford an anti-establishment brand or a nice man?
Whether it’s a muddy field near the planned 413 freeway route, or outside a car dealership, or in a North Bay debate, there are topics you’ll hear over and over again. in the campaign of Mr. Ford: construction of roads, houses and workers. New Go-Train stations. Canada Day Tax Reduction. The ever-present slogan “Do it.”
NPD leader Andrea Horwath makes a campaign stop in Toronto on May 25th. Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press
NDP
Andrea Horwath
Age: 59
Horse riding: Hamilton, where he has served as MPP since 2004.
Leader Elections: This is Horwath’s fourth election, and is expected to be his last, as leader of the Ontario NDP. In the 2018 elections, the NPD improved its seat count from 18 to 40 with 33.5 percent of the vote and became the Official Opposition.
Campaign slogan: “Fort. Ready. Working for you. ”
Campaign Team: The NDP campaign is led by Michael Balagus, who also led the party’s effort in 2018 and has since served as Mrs Horwath’s chief of staff. Also on the campaign team are Karla Webber-Gallagher, Lucy Watson and Erin Morrison.
Key Promises: The NDP platform includes billions in new spending on mental health care, dental care and pharmaceutical care, as well as hiring thousands of nurses and building social and affordable housing. Horwath says the pledges are aimed at “fixing what has been broken” with a pandemic social security network.
- Housing: The NDP is committed to establishing, if elected, an organization called Housing Ontario to finance and build at least 250,000 affordable, non-commercial rental homes over the next 10 years. They would also end exclusionary zoning to increase the supply of affordable housing.
- Health care: The NDP is committed to hiring 30,000 nurses and 10,000 support staff in an effort to address staff shortages and long waiting times. The party is also committed to accelerating the deployment of universal pharmaceutical and dental care programs, which Ottawa has pledged to implement over the next five years.
- Transportation: The NDP is committed to abandoning Highway 413 and instead focusing on existing roads. They would increase funding for municipal public transportation services to 50% of net operating costs, as well as implement a two-hour flat rate for public transportation services at the GTA.
Read the full story: NDP platform includes tax freeze and accelerated pharmaceutical care plan
Jeff Gray of The Globe outlined the NDP leader: Andrea Horwath wants to “fix what’s broken” in Ontario. Is it enough to win more seats in the NPD?
“This is Andrea’s fourth kick in this can. And I think the party will say after that if it doesn’t become prime minister it’s time to change,” Ms. Berns-McGown. “I don’t think that’s a controversial knife-tipped opinion.”
Ontario Liberal leader Steven Del Duca speaks during a May 17 campaign rally in Toronto. Cole Burston / The Canadian Press
The Liberals
Steven Del Duca
Age: 48
Horse riding: Vaughan-Woodbridge, which is currently in the hands of progressive conservative Michael Tibollo. Mr. Del Duca previously served as MPP in Vaughan from 2012 to 2018 and served as Minister of Transport in the government of former Prime Minister Kathleen Wynne.
Leader Elections: This is Del Duca’s first election campaign as a Liberal leader. He won the party’s leadership contest on March 7, 2020, just days before the first confinement of COVID-19, and two years after the Liberals’ overwhelming defeat in the 2018 election, which reduced the ruling party. to only seven seats in the legislature.
Campaign slogan: “The choice is yours.”
Campaign Team: Christine McMillan, a former aide to former Dalton McGuinty, is leading the Liberal election effort, the former as campaign manager. The 44-year-old partner of Crestview Strategy, a lobbying and public relations firm, has several new faces working on this campaign. But there is no shortage of liberal veterans like Don Guy, Brian Johns, Kate Graham, Bob Lopinski, Jonathan Espie, Omar Khan and Dan Moulton.
Key Promises: The Liberals have made a number of eye-catching promises, including a buck-a-ride traffic promise and the return of an optional 13-degree.
- Housing: If elected, the Liberals promise to get 1.5 million new homes built over the next decade. They would also restore control of rents, create a new tax on vacant homes in urban areas, and charge speculators who keep approved housing projects idle.
- Health care: Liberals pledge to hire 100,000 new doctors, nurses and health workers. The party promises to raise the wages of health workers, including a minimum of $ 25 an hour for personal support workers. Liberals are also committed to expanding access to mental health services, including training 3,000 new mental health and addiction professionals.
- Transportation: He The Liberals have pledged to a “province-wide buck-a-ride” to reduce fares for all traffic systems in the province to $ 1 by January 2024. They would rule out Highway 413 and spend $ 10 billion (an estimated cost for the project) to build schools and reduce the backlog of repairs.
Read the full story: The Liberal Platform aims to tackle the housing crisis
Jeff Gray of The Globe profiles Steven Del Duca: Ontario Liberals were decimated in the 2018 election. Steven Del Duca worked to rebuild the party, but it is still a long way off
This is Mr. Del Duca in a nutshell, say those who know him: a policy focused on details, which is nothing more than substance, and which has worked hard behind the scenes to revive his dying party after he was expelled from government on 2018. and reduced to only seven seats.
Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner in Toronto on May 12. Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press
Greens
Mike Schreiner
Age: 52
Horse riding: Guelph, who made history in the 2018 election by choosing Ontario’s first green MPP.
Leader Elections: This is Mr. Fifth’s election. Schreiner as leader of the Green Party. The party hopes to at least double its number of deputies, and points to the constituencies of Parry Sound-Muskoka (Matt Richter) and University-Rosedale (Dianne Saxe) as possible victories.
Campaign slogan: “The Ontario you want. The leadership we need.”
Campaign Team: Becky Smit, the former chief of staff of Mr. Schreiner is the president of the Green Campaign. The campaign team also includes Jaymini Bhikha, Bianca Bell, Samantha Bird and Ralph Benmergui.
Key Promises: The Green Party platform focuses on addressing the climate crisis, with a $ 65 billion plan if chosen to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045. The party platform also includes several initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse gases, including investments in the transition to electricity. vehicles and the improvement of buildings to make them more energy efficient. The Greens would implement new fees and taxes to pay for the plan.
- Housing: The Greens are committed to building 160,000 affordable community rental homes in partnership with co-op and non-profit housing providers. They would also launch a green building program to build sustainable and energy efficient developments.
- Health care: The Greens agree to present a plan on …