Doug Ford government confident they'll be re-elected 6 months before vote
Ontario's Progressive Conservatives are expressing confidence that voters will send Doug Ford back to Queen's Park for a second term as premier in 2022.
In exactly six months, voters will have their first chance to voice their feelings about the Ford government's four years in office--deciding whether to stay the course or thrust a new party into government.
Government House Leader Paul Calandra acknowledged the June 2 election, like all elections, will be a referendum on the Ford government's first mandate and whether the party lived up to its promises.
"It is always going to be a referendum on how you did ... I don't expect this election to be any different," Calandra told reporters at Queen's Park.
Despite years of highs and lows and mixed reviews of how the government has handled the pandemic so far, Calandra said the government is feeling confident about its chances in the next election.
"I am very confident that even more Progressive Conservatives will be sitting in that legislature after June 2," Calandra said.
The PC party, which was elected with 40 per cent of the vote in 2018, could face more of a challenge in this election as multiple polls have shrunk their lead over their political adversaries -- the NDP, Liberals and Green Party -- to the single digits.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who was elected as Official Opposition Leader in 2018, laid out her clear expectations for the next election campaign.
"I'm running for premier," she declared at Queen's Park. "I think people know very well that this next expectation is going to be an extremely important one."
Horwath suggested her election strategy is to remind voters of the government's record over the past four years as a signal of what's to come if the PC government were to receive another mandate.
"The last thing we need coming out of the pandemic, hopefully next year, is a government that's just going to go right back to cutting," Horwath said.
The Ontario Liberals, in contrast, are pledging not to "dwell on the past" and instead focus on how to rebuild the economy after the pandemic as they attempt to dramatically increase their seat count in the Legislature.
The party was trounced from office in 2018, after 15 years in charge, and was reduced to seven seats -- one of the worst showings in party history.
Liberal House Leader John Fraser believes, however, the party can repeat the success of Justin Trudeau's federal Liberals, which was catapulted into government from third place during the 2015 national election.
"Yes, 100 per cent," Fraser said when asked whether the provincial Liberals can leapfrog over other parties. "Just working hard to earn people's trust by talking to them about your plans for the things that are important to you."
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, whose party made history in 2018 by gaining its first seat in the Ontario Legislature, is more realistic about his party's chances and instead is setting his sights on an increased seat count and provincewide vote totals.
Schreiner expressed some concern about the tone of the next election campaign, given the ramped up rhetoric in the legislature.
"The negative ads that the other parties are already running this far in advance of the election suggests there will be a fair amount of negative campaigning unfortunately."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.