And They’re Off
Your ON Election Look Ahead
- 3 minute read
What We're Watching
Find out what issues Summa consultants are tracking and why they matter.
Captain Canada – Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives have made it clear that they are running on a platform to ‘protect Ontario.’ If the premier has his way, the proverbial ballot box question will be, “who is best to take on President Trump and his tariffs?” The premier wants to be seen as ‘Captain Canada’ and let those images permeate the campaign. His opponents will look to disrupt this narrative and shift the focus to the premier’s track record on housing, cost of living, healthcare and controversies such as the previously planned Greenbelt land swap. President Trump’s announcement on tariffs over the weekend have put that issue front and centre, turning attention away from the issues that the Liberals and NDP would prefer to be the focus of voters.
Catching the Campaign Bug – The Liberals will try to capitalize on Premier Doug Ford’s early election call depicting the Ontario PC Leader as an opportunist seeking to make this campaign a referendum on the state of Ontario’s healthcare system. While it is a perennial issue, horror stories about emergency room closures and images of Ontarians waiting in long lines for a family doctor in cold weather have brought the issue to the forefront. The Progressive Conservatives know they are vulnerable on healthcare. In an attempt to shield themselves, they enlisted former Liberal Health Minister Jane Philpott to chair their Primary Care Action Team and have matched the Liberals’ campaign promise to have every Ontarian matched with a primary care team by 2029.
You Can’t Afford to Lose – The Ontario NDP have focused the early campaign days on the rising cost of living and affordability concerns. Their recent pledges to eliminate tolls on the 407 and to build housing are geared to young families having a hard time making ends meet. In recent days, the ONDP have questioned Ford’s ability to negotiate with Trump on behalf of those who are not wealthy. It is an attempt to undercut Ford’s primary talking point head-on. The question is whether courting the millennial vote and playing defence on Ford’s diplomatic chops will be enough to mobilize voters to the ballot box.
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