What the leaders want to do on debate night

Candidates compete for voters' hearts and minds

ABOVE THE FOLD

Hello from a snow-covered Toronto where Ontario’s main party leaders will go head-to-head in the first and only major live televised debate of the campaign. If Friday’s free-for-all in North Bay was any indication, we’re in for some fireworks.

Buckle up: The Northern-themed debate, put on by the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, was expected to be a relatively tame affair. It turned out to be pretty lively, and offered us a preview of the leaders’ game plans for tonight’s big show, where the journalists are the ones asking the questions.

Frontrunner PC DOUG FORD was forced to play defence on his government’s record — especially housing and homelessness — before skipping out on post-debate scrums with reporters, who had burning questions about “Sparky,” that now-deleted partisan ad about the Washington trip, and more.

Ford tried to stick to his theme of tariffs, which reportedly prompted grumbling from the audience at some points. He then painted his rivals …