Premier Doug Ford is defending his decision to call an early election following a result which did little to change the standing of the parties in the legislature.
“We have a stronger mandate than we’ve ever had before,” Ford told CTV News Toronto when asked if his gamble on an early election was worthwhile. “No government, no government in the history of Ontario, was able to accomplish what we were accomplished.”
While the election gained the PCs just one more seat than they previously had in the legislature, Ford pointed out that his party’s share of the vote has increased in each election since 2018.
The Progressive Conservatives won a third majority on Thursday after Ford called a snap election in which he said he needed a large mandate in order to deal with tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The PCs won 40.5 per cent of the popular vote in 2018; 40.83 per cent in 2022; and 42.97 per cent of the vote in last week’s election.
The election, which was not originally scheduled to take place until June 2026, cost $189 million.
The PCs won 80 seats, adding one more than they had before the election was called. The NDP lost one seat, but remain the official opposition, and the Liberals gained five seats, returning them to official party status.
Ford made the comments after addressing the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention in downtown Toronto Monday morning, his first public comments since the election.
His government is vowing to plow ahead with a new Ring of Fire access road to help bring critical minerals to market without getting bogged down by environmental assessments or red tape, despite some estimates that it could take until 2040 to complete the road.
Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford said the government is making progress with First Nations in talks on the project.
“We are building consensus in the Ring of Fire, with First Nations communities, working together for legacy infrastructure that will support Northern development,” he said.
Ford added that the province is “in survival mode” amid the tariff threats, and is looking to operate with the same urgency it did in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You have two choices here, folks: We roll over as a country and just let them run over us, or we fight like hell, like we’ve never fought before,” Ford said. “I’m taking option two. I’m fighting like hell. We’re going to protect Canada. He (Trump) is underestimating the Canadian people, the resilience of the Canadian people and the strength of the Canadian people.”
Asked if he’ll recall the legislature in order to deal with the tariffs, Ford said Ontario’s election rules prevent him from doing so before the new parliament is sworn in the week of March 17.
However he said his existing cabinet is in place and is able to respond.
“Our cabinet is in place to make decisions as we talk,” Ford said. “Right today, I’m in constant communication with the Prime Minister and the other premiers. I talk to the premiers every day.”
Trump confirmed Monday afternoon that the U.S. will move forward with tariffs across the Canadian economy on Tuesday.
