Ontario Premier Doug Ford could call a snap election as early as next week, according to sources close to the government.
Ford is seeking a renewed mandate to address the potential economic fallout of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.
Despite leading a comfortable majority at Queen’s Park with over a year left in his term, Ford argues that he needs a new mandate to “protect jobs, businesses, and communities” in Ontario from the impact of the tariffs.
“The only way to get that mandate is from the people. That’s democracy,” Ford said, emphasizing the urgency of responding to the economic threat.
To prepare for the potential announcement, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has invited MPPs, candidates, and campaign managers to a full-day strategy meeting.
An email sent by PC campaign manager Kory Teneycke invited participants to a “super caucus meeting” on Saturday at a Toronto-area airport hotel. The meeting signals intensified campaign preparations as the government moves closer to dissolving the legislature.
Ontario opposition leaders have criticized the possible election call.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles argued that Ford already has the power to make decisions and accused him of using the tariff issue as an excuse to call an election, distracting from other pressing problems such as the province’s strained healthcare system.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie warned that an election now would create “chaos” at a time when Ontario needs unity.
Ontario’s election law allows the premier to dissolve the legislature and call an election before the end of the four-year mandate. However, speculation about an early election has been circulating since last year, even before Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.
Amid the controversy, Ford continues to position himself as a champion of Ontario’s economic interests. In a recent interview with U.S. media, the premier underscored the severity of the proposed tariffs, calling them a “direct threat to Ontario’s jobs and communities.”
Ford insists that any decision regarding the election will be guided by the need to protect the province’s economic future.
