Ontario Premier Doug Ford will dissolve his government and call a snap election on January 29th, paving the way for a provincial vote by the end of February. This move comes amidst speculation and theories surrounding Ford's potential motivations, including the threat of U.S. tariffs, the desire to capitalize on a perceived leadership role, and the timing of controversial rebate cheques.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is planning to call a general election next Wednesday, sources confirmed to Global News. This move will set the stage for a province-wide vote by the end of February. Ford will dissolve his government on January 29th by going to Lt. Gov. Edith Dumont, allowing for an election to take place on February 27th.
This confirmation comes after weeks of speculation about Ford calling an early election, fueled by the threat of tariffs from the United States, which has allowed the premier to take a national leadership role.Since May 2024, Ford has been hinting at the possibility of an early election, refusing to explicitly rule it out or confirm it. Around mid-last year, he stated that he wouldn't call a snap election in 2024 but didn't entirely dismiss the idea of calling one during 2025. Internally, a potential Conservative majority government in Ottawa and the unpopularity of Justin Trudeau were two reasons that made going to the polls early a potentially tempting option for the Progressive Conservatives. Another potential benefit of going early is the arrival of so-called rebate cheques from the provincial government. In the most recent fall economic statement, Ford announced $200 rebate cheques for all Ontario taxpayers and their children. Funded through capital gains tax revenue that now appears unlikely to materialize, these cheques were mailed last week and have begun to arrive across the province. The premier framed it as a way to help Ontarians amid an ongoing affordability crisis, but critics argued it was nothing more than a vote-buying scheme ahead of an election. The premier framed it as a way to help Ontarians amid an ongoing affordability crisis, but critics argued it was nothing more than a vote-buying scheme ahead of an election.After months of uncertainty surrounding an early election, political developments in the U.S. seem to have provided Ford with a narrative to justify triggering an election. In recent weeks, the premier has repeatedly claimed he needs a “mandate” from voters to potentially spend tens of billions of dollars if 25 per cent tariffs hit Canadian imports to the United States and harm the provincial economy. U.S. President Donald Trump most recently suggested tariffs would come into effect on February 1st but failed to follow through on a previous threat to impose them on his first day in office. Opposition leaders in Ontario have all stated that they would support a stimulus package from the government if tariffs did materialize and it was deemed necessary to sustain the economy.Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, and Ontario Green Leader Mike Schreiner have all suggested that Ford is prioritizing his political future over the province’s well-being by calling an early election. They argue that going more than a year ahead of schedule allows Ford to stay ahead of any potential findings in the RCMP’s Greenbelt investigation and capitalize on taking a leadership role in the tariff threat. Ford stated that he plans to travel to Washington, D.C. twice during the election campaign in his role as premier to meet with U.S. officials and discuss the threat of tariffs. Trips in February were already planned before the election announcement and will include other Canadian premiers. Internally, the government has been accelerating the timeline for announcements in recent days to clear the decks for the early election call, while staff have also been instructed to make the necessary arrangements for the province to enter caretaker mode. With dissolution set for Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives currently hold the most seats in the Ontario legislature with 79. The Ontario NDP has 28, the Liberals have nine, the Greens have two members, and there are six independents
ONTARIO ELECTION DOUG FORD SNAP ELECTION ELECTION TIMING US TARIFFS POLITICAL STRATEGY ONTARIO POLITICS
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