Ford leans in
But why?
ABOVE THE FOLD
“STAY TUNED” — With those two little words, DOUG FORD has stoked more speculation about a snap election — but is that by design?
While Ontario’s political circles buzz about the prospect of an early election, thanks in large part to fast-tracked booze sales, the Premier isn’t doing much to tamp down the rumours.
In fact, he’s as cagey as ever.
Yesterday, Newstalk 1010’s JERRY AGAR pressed Ford on whether Ontarians will go to the polls before June 2026, and Ford said: “Stay tuned.”
“I can’t answer that. I just can’t right now,” he went on to say, reiterating that he wants to see his agenda through first.
Sources close to Ford previously told me they need to make tangible progress on some of their key goals — highways, hospitals, transit lines and budget balance, to name a few — before asking Ontarians for a third mandate. That could potentially happen by Spring 2025.
But, and it’s a biggie: Ford would need to justify an early election to the public, beyond it being self-serving for the majority-enjoying PCs.
So, if we’re not headed for a snap vote, why won’t the Premier nip it in the bud?
One theory, from Sun columnist Brian Lilley: “It comes down to two things: Ford doesn’t want to rule anything out, and it terrifies BONNIE CROMBIE’s Liberals and keeps them off balance.”
Another theory, from this (sometimes) cynical reporter: The possibility of an early election is being splashed across headlines and prime time news. It’s all anyone at the Pink Palace is talking about — perhaps more so than, say, other things the PCs would rather not talk about, like the fact that the privacy commish is now digging into the Greenbelt saga, or that Ontarians are on the hook for the multi-million-dollar breakup with The Beer Store.
Shameless self-promotion — I held forth on all that and more with MICHAEL SERAPIO and MARTIN REGG COHN on CPAC’s PrimeTime Politics. Check it: