Attack ads and campaign-style promises: The unofficial 2022 election campaign has begun in Ontario
The unofficial election campaign seems to be underway in Ontario as political parties launch attack ads, reveal policy platforms and unveil themes that could shape the ballot box question in 2022.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford planted the seeds of his party’s election message during a campaign-style stop in Milton, Ont. on Thursday, contrasting his government’s focus on a post-pandemic future, with the former Liberal government’s 15 years in office.
"Folks, next June, you’re going to decide, do you want the province to move forward and we'll keep governing, or do you want it to go back the way it was for 15 years that destroyed our province," Ford said during a government announcement.
“I can tell you, we want to move forward,” Ford said.
Behind the scenes, the Progressive Conservatives have tapped three members of caucus – Paul Calandra, Kinga Surma and Rod Phillips -- to write the 2022 PC party platform.
The trio will harmonize formal policy advice from PC party members, commitments made during the last three years and promises made by individual Progressive Conservative MPPs to create a costed platform before the writ is issued next spring.
But the governing party isn’t alone in its pre-election push. On Thursday, the Ontario NDP released its first attack advertisement hitting at both Ford and Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca in an election-style commercial called “big cuts, bad choices.”
The ad begins with a picture of Ford with a female voiceover saying “he’s gotta go” before quickly transitioning to video of Del Duca sitting silently as he waits for a Zoom news conference to begin.
“This guy, thinks the job belongs to him,” the voiceover says of Del Duca.
The ad portrays Del Duca as the “right-hand man” to former Premier Kathleen Wynne in an attempt to cash in on Wynne’s low approval numbers prior to the 2018 election.
NDP Campaign Director Michael Balagus said the advertisement aims to introduce the Liberal leader “who is largely unknown” to Ontario voters.
The campaign has also released a series of “positive” and “hopeful” ads of NDP Leader Andrea Horwath presenting her vision for the province from investments in health care and education – signalling the party’s pitch to voters will include billions in new spending.
The Liberals, meanwhile, have largely been focused on a virtual campaign allowing Del Duca to reach out to party supporters, hold news conferences and to discuss campaign platform promises, all from a home-based studio in Vaughan.
The party announced an education recovery plan on Thursday, that would lower all class sizes to 20 students per educator, hire new mental health and special education workers, and offer financial assistance for children to go to summer camp.
While Del Duca has been critical of the government performance during the pandemic, he often sprinkles in the phrase “if I were premier today,” in an effort to offer alternative policy solutions to current pandemic issues.
The party is preparing to take that message on the road with the first in-person, door-to-door campaign since Del Duca was elected leader in March 2020.
Candidates and volunteers have been given training manuals on how best to interact with voters after Canada Day, marking the unofficial kick-off to the next provincial vote.
The election is scheduled for June 2, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.