Ontario’s Premier secures third term as he vows to challenge US President’s trade tactics.
Doug Ford, Ontario’s Premier, delivered a defiant victory speech after securing a third term in office, vowing to push back against US President Donald Trump’s trade policies. In his address to a jubilant crowd in Toronto, Ford declared, “Trump thinks he can break us. But he’s wrong. Canada is not for sale.”
Ford, who has led Ontario since 2018, called the snap election to strengthen his mandate in the ongoing battle with Trump over tariffs on Canadian goods. The election results indicated that Ford’s Progressive Conservatives had won more than 80 out of the 124 seats in Ontario’s legislature by the morning after the polls closed.
The left-wing New Democratic Party emerged as the official opposition, while the Liberals secured third place. Ford’s campaign was marked by his opposition to Trump’s repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st state, with Ford sporting a cap that read, “Canada is not for sale.” In his victory speech, he emphasised Canada’s resilience, saying that Trump underestimated the Canadian people and their spirit.
The election results came in swiftly, with Canadian broadcaster CBC calling the race just 10 minutes after polling stations closed. Voter turnout, however, was at a near-historic low, with only 44% of Ontarians participating, equalling the record-low turnout in 2022.
Ford ran his campaign under the slogan “Protect Canada”, focusing on opposing US tariff threats, particularly with regard to the automotive sector, a vital industry in Ontario. Ford has suggested that Trump’s proposed tariffs could lead to massive job losses in Ontario and devastate the Canadian economy. He also warned of retaliatory measures, including cutting energy supplies to the US and removing American products from store shelves.
Despite his success, Ford faced criticism from opposition parties, who accused him of using the strained US-Canada relationship to increase his political popularity and questioned the timing of the election amid ongoing economic uncertainty. Additionally, Ford has been embroiled in a criminal investigation related to the sale of environmentally protected land for real estate development.
Bonnie Crombie, leader of the Ontario Liberals, acknowledged her party’s loss but declared that they had proved their worth, despite Crombie failing to secure her own seat. The last time Ontario saw three consecutive majority terms was in 1959 under Progressive Conservative leader Leslie Frost.
