‘When politicians begin giving us our personal a refund, you already know an election is coming,’ writes reporter Bob Bruton following flurry of funding bulletins
So Feb. 27 it’s, provincial election day in Ontario.
Premier Doug Ford stated he was going to do it and now he’s performed it, or at the least he’ll on Wednesday, make the announcement.
Ford says he wants a brand new, robust mandate from Ontario voters to tackle U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian items and his menace to make Canada a part of the US of America.
So, Ford is looking a provincial election, presumably to run on these points.
The bigger the bulk Progressive Conservative (PC) authorities is following that election, the larger Ford’s mandate to do no matter he plans to do to counteract Trump, the premier says.
The Tories have already got a majority authorities in Queen’s Park, in fact, obtained by an amazing victory within the June 2022 election. Voters needn’t return to the polls till the spring of 2026.
However Ford desires different huge win, perhaps even greater, to get his new mandate.
Does he want it to proceed governing, to tackle Trump?
Most actually not.
And a looming nationwide financial disaster is not any purpose to name an election.
Did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for instance, name an election when the COVID-19 pandemic struck?
Neither did Ford, if I keep in mind appropriately.
Each as an alternative confirmed some management, getting in entrance of Canadians nearly every single day to inform them what they had been doing to battle this public well being emergency.
No person went in search of an even bigger mandate.
There was hypothesis that Ford is looking this election when his fundamental political rivals, the Liberals and New Democrats, are down if not out.
What higher time to safe that bigger majority?
And be robust for one more 4 years as an alternative of only one?
However the marketing campaign path is a humorous place. Stuff occurs there, fortunes change, defeat is snatched from the very jaws of victory.
Simply when it appears like a giant win, the tides shift and the front-runner is hanging on for pricey life.
What do I imply?
What if, say, mid-February, Trump’s tariffs are in place, companies are floundering, jobs are being misplaced and inflation soars?
What if Ontario voters, a fickle bunch at finest, determine that is Ford’s fault, at the least partly?
Certain, Ford can blame the federal Liberals, and by extension the Ontario Liberals, and Trudeau, and by extension Liberal Chief Bonnie Crombie, however will that wash with voters?
And as soon as Ford is halfway by a provincial election marketing campaign, there’s nowhere to cover. On daily basis the PC bus stops in one other driving a dozen occasions and there’s a sound chunk wanted to get the message out.
Questions that want answering, too.
Talking of questions being answered, voters should surprise if PC candidates will do media interviews this time, or attend all-candidate debates, one thing that didn’t all the time occur in 2022. Phrase was that directive got here from on excessive (Ford).
However non-partisan voters should surprise in regards to the competence of political candidates who can’t reply media questions, or these from the general public or different candidates throughout a debate. Makes one query the candidates’ means to suppose on their ft.
And with an Ontario election Feb. 27, a nationwide one can’t be far behind — simply as quickly because the federal Liberals choose a brand new chief and maybe a brief prime minister. That may be March 9, with a federal election to observe shortly.
There’s little doubt Ford has opened a political can of worms by calling an election. He’d higher look ahead to its sharp edges.
And Wednesday is just not the official signal of a pending election, not even the primary one.
Final week, the town introduced $18.5 million in provincial funding to assist pay for $56.9 million price of residential infrastructure, for 11,900 new houses, within the Mapleview Drive East, Yonge Road space.
On Friday, provincial funding additionally got here for the redevelopment of Alliston’s hospital, new beds at Hospice Simcoe in Barrie and “help” for present beds at Royal Victoria Regional Well being Centre (RVH).
When politicians begin giving us our personal a refund, you already know an election is coming.
Bob Bruton covers metropolis corridor for BarrieToday. He’s all for democracy, however each 4 years is sufficient for every stage of presidency.
