CMEDIA: Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced an early provincial election Wednesday, February 29, setting the stage for Ontarians to cast their votes.
Ford said that the driving force behind his decision of an early provincial election was U.S. President Donald Trump’s impending 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods.
“I will be meeting with the lieutenant governor on Tuesday to officially call the election,” Ford stated, emphasizing the need for a renewed mandate to combat Trump’s tariff measures expected to be implemented as early as February 1.
The province’s next fixed election date was set for June 2026, but in defence of the timing of this early election Ford said,
“We need a strong mandate from Ontarians to fight these tariffs and provide certainty for our economy,” he said, adding that his government is prepared to invest “tens of billions of dollars” to safeguard livelihoods, similar to measures taken during the pandemic.
Although an early election rumors had been circulating for months, senior government sources confirmed the election date of Feb 29 only recently
Also pointing to lack of federal leadership as a contributing factor to his decision, Ford remarked “right now, we need strong leadership in this province, and we will deliver it,”
In spite of criticism from opposition leaders, Ford assured voters of his commitment, pledging to work “20 hours a day” during the campaign and maintain daily engagement with his ministers.
With his plan to visit Washington next month with other premiers, Ford aims to advocate for Ontario’s interests with U.S. lawmakers.
