Ontario voters are heading to the polls soon but some are questioning the early election call.
Premier Doug Ford confirmed that he will officially call an election on Wednesday, during a press conference in Brampton on Friday.
The premier told reporters that Ontario needs the strongest possible mandate to fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s incoming 25 per cent tariffs.
“The attack is coming against our families, our businesses, our communities, and with a strong mandate we will be able to fight…to make sure we stop the tariffs,” he told reporters.
The last provincial election was in 2022 when the Conservatives formed a majority government with Ford as premier.
Last Tuesday, Ford warned that if Trump does impose tariffs on Canada it could affect up to half a million jobs in Ontario.
Read More
“This is serious,” he told reporters at a press conference. “It’s unprecedented.”
Similarly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference in Montebello, QC. on Tuesday that “if the president does choose to proceed with tariffs, Canada will respond – and everything is on the table.”
President Trump first announced his plans to impose 25 per tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods entering the United States in November, in an effort to force both countries to crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the U.S.
Ottawa is planning retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s threat, which are reportedly worth billions of dollars.
Trump initially stated that he would impose the tariffs on Feb.1. But, a presidential order signed by him on Monday, that directed a review of how the tariffs would impact American workers, farmers, ranchers and service providers, set the date back to Apr.1.
The note also requested that the U.S. commerce and homeland security secretaries assess “unlawful migration and fentanyl flows” from Canada and Mexico.
PARTY LEADERS RESPOND TO THE ELECTION CALL
Following Ford’s announcement, Bonnie Crombie, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, said on X that “the only job he [Ford] is interested in protecting is his own,” adding that calling an election was a “very self-interested and self-vested move.”
At every turn, Doug Ford has shown that the only person he’s in this for is himself.
— Bonnie Crombie 🇨🇦 (@BonnieCrombie) January 24, 2025
Calling a snap election at such a crucial moment in our province is just another example of that.
I have a real plan to put you first. pic.twitter.com/kRtpjuW0kV
Meanwhile, Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP, said on X that Ford called the election to distract from the fact that his government is under investigation by the RCMP and that Ontarians are worse off than they were seven years ago.
“He says he needs a mandate to fight for jobs in Ontario, I have a message for him, you are the premier of this province, it is your mandate every single day to fight for the jobs of working people in this province,” she said.
There's been a lot of talk of why Doug Ford is calling an early election. Here's my response: #onpoli https://t.co/YvwbRt5zK9 pic.twitter.com/bc1KkuH00V
— Marit Stiles (@MaritStiles) January 24, 2025
CANADIANS REACT TO ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
Online, people have been responding to Ford’s election call.
Read More
“He claims he needs a strong mandate to cover the Trump presidency but obviously feels he can’t have that on the regular cycle. I wonder why?,” one X user wrote.
“He says he needs a bigger mandate than the majority he has now? The next election isn’t until the fall of 2026 so he wants to spend $100s of millions to soothe his ego now,” another user wrote.
“I don’t understand the point. This is a waste of taxpayers’ dollars,” someone else said.
The snap election is set for Feb. 27, more than a year before it would have otherwise taken place.
By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
