VANCOUVER – After meeting with the nation’s provincial leaders and the prime minister on Jan. 15, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that it was time to put Canada first, even ahead of provincial interests, in dealing with tariff threats from American President Donald Trump.
By Jan. 29 the province had begun an election campaign, after Ford announced an early call in order to garner a stronger mandate over the next four years.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds residents are not sold on the timing or motivation of the election.
Four-in-five Ontario residents (78 per cent) – and in fact three-in-five who currently say they’ll support Ford’s party – say that this election call was made to serve Ford’s interest and not those of the province.
Seven-in-10 (68%) characterize the election as “unnecessary.”
This is not to say that Ford and the Progressive Conservatives are suffering the costs of these negative perceptions.
As has been the case in the face of low approval and low government performance scores, his party continues to hold a commanding lead in vote intention.
Some of this can be attributed to the party’s key strengths, as Ford and the Conservatives have two clear advantages when it comes to the top issues facing the province.
On economic stewardship and dealing with the threat posed by Donald Trump, Ford and his party are chosen at a much higher rate than the Liberals or NDP.
The PCs also hold a small edge as the preferred party to tackle cost of living challenges.
On heath care and housing affordability, the NDP, Liberals, and Conservatives split close to evenly.
This magnifies the Conservatives other key advantage – a divided opposition.
Neither Marit Stiles’ NDP nor Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals have been able to create any clear advantages over the PCs early in the campaign, instead splitting the large number of non-PC voters between themselves.
What this generates is a situation where Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are chosen as both the “best” party for one’s overall quality of life in Ontario (30% vs 25% NDP, 20% Liberal) and also the “worst” on this same metric (40% vs 17% Liberal, 16% NDP).
More key findings
Three-in-five Ontarians say Doug Ford has done well in standing up to Donald Trump in recent weeks.
Four-in-five PC voters feel this way, while Liberals are divided (44% agree, 41% disagree) and NDP voters lean toward disagreeing (55%).
Three-in-five say Ontario is on the wrong track, while 17% say it is on the right track.
One-quarter (24%) say they don’t know.
Climate change is chosen as a top issue for more than three-in-10 of all non-PC voters, while within Ford’s base just 5% say this is an important issue.
