(Ottawa) Doug Ford will again lead Canada’s most populous province with an unequivocal majority after a 28-day election campaign, where he played it safe. Faced with disappointing results, two of the three leaders of the opposition parties announced that they were leaving politics.
Updated yesterday at 11:56 p.m.
The leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario was re-elected Thursday with a strengthened majority. His victory was confirmed by the Global network just 11 minutes after the polls closed. The CBC and Radio-Canada followed less than ten minutes later.
As these lines were written, his party was ahead in 83 of the 124 constituencies, 16 seats more than a month ago. “Together, we achieved the impossible, we made history,” he exclaimed a few minutes after arriving on stage. His jubilant supporters chanted, “Four more years! »
“I promised to build this province. To say yes to more housing, yes to accessible housing so that families can once again dream of owning a property. To say yes to building infrastructure that sustains communities, to putting our workers to work building the subways, hospitals and highways our growing province desperately needs. »
PHOTO CARLOS OSORIO, REUTERS
Supporters of Doug Ford celebrated the victory of the Progressive Conservatives.
The construction helmet had become Doug Ford’s favorite headgear during the election campaign. He has promised to build a new highway – the 413 – to attract the cities of the northern ring of Toronto. The Progressive Conservatives managed to win the riding of Brampton Center that the New Democrats won in 2018 with only 89 votes in advance.
At the end of his speech, the Premier-designate delivered a message of inclusion and urged Ontarians to focus on what unites them to get things done.
His federal counterpart quickly congratulated him on his victory. “I look forward to continuing to work with Premier Ford and his government to protect people from COVID-19, build the homes communities need, and deliver on our federal promise to provide families with child care services. $10 a day, while growing the middle class and the economy,” said Justin Trudeau.
In 2018, Doug Ford’s victory was seen as a thorn in the side of Mr. Trudeau, but since then relations have softened.
Changing of the guard
Andrea Horwath’s New Democratic Party will retain its official opposition status, with a lead in 31 constituencies, seven less than when the election campaign began. Mme Horwath announced his resignation at the end of his speech, in the grip of strong emotion.
PHOTO TARA WALTON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Andrea Horwath, resigned leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario
“It makes me sad and it makes me happy because our team is so strong now,” she said, wiping away tears.
The Liberals were leading in eight ridings, but their leader Steven Del Duca bit the dust. He also announced that he was leaving the leadership of his party.
PHOTO CHRIS YOUNG, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Steven Del Duca, resigning leader of the Ontario Liberal Party
Bold Liberal promises like a 4-day week and $1 public transit have failed to erase the contested legacy of Kathleen Wynne’s government. Mr. Del Duca remained little known to voters.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner won re-election in the southwestern riding of Guelph but failed to make further inroads in the province.
PHOTO TIJANA MARTIN, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly will also have an independent candidate, Bobbi Ann Brady, who managed to win the poll in the southwest of the province.
Progressive Conservative Caroline Mulroney, who served as Minister of Francophone Affairs during this first mandate, was re-elected. MP Amanda Simard, who had slammed the door of the Progressive Conservative Party after the Ford government’s cuts to French language services, was defeated in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, in Eastern Ontario. She ran for the Liberals, but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Stéphane Sarrazin.
The Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, which represents 744,000 people, congratulated Mr. Ford on his victory. She indicated that she intended to continue working to counter the shortage of Francophone and bilingual labor and obtain a third university in Sudbury.
Technical problems delayed voting at 27 polling stations which had to stay open longer. Two of them continued to welcome voters until 11 p.m., two hours longer than planned. Elections Ontario had not revealed the final turnout in the evening, but CTV was already reporting a decrease of 20 percentage points compared to 2018.