The Ontario election marketing campaign is in full swing — which you will have seen due to an unsolicited textual content message from PC Chief Doug Ford (extra on that under).
Right here’s a fast take a look at how the race unfolded through the first full week of campaigning. We’re protecting issues easy right here, however you should definitely observe the hyperlinks for deeper dives.
We’ve additionally answered a couple of questions from our CBC Information viewers in regards to the election and our protection.
That you just, Doug?
A number of individuals have emailed asking us to look into textual content messages claiming to be from Ford himself.
In a world the place digital spam and scams appear relentless, you could be skeptical in regards to the messages — particularly as a result of follow-up texts solicit your postal code with a promise to message once more on election day with details about the place to vote.
However the PC marketing campaign has confirmed they’re behind the texts, which Elections Ontario says are completely legit beneath the province’s marketing campaign guidelines. The messages are a contemporary get-out-the-vote tactic, and the PCs deployed the identical technique through the 2018 and 2022 elections.
If a textual content from any get together directs you to the flawed voting place, you’ll be able to submit a proper criticism to Elections Ontario, a spokesperson stated.
“Elections Ontario is your trusted source for accurate election information. If you have any questions or come across something you’re unsure about, visit us at elections.on.ca for the facts you can trust,” the spokesperson wrote in an electronic mail.
Tariff nervousness, reduction, and… extra nervousness
The week began with the highlight on tariffs set to take impact Tuesday.
By Monday morning, Ontario was getting ready to yank U.S. booze off the LCBO’s cabinets and rip-up a contract with Elon Musk’s satellite tv for pc web firm.
And all 4 of the province’s main political events had been promising to combat for you and stand as much as U.S. President Donald Trump.
Then at 3 p.m., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump bought on a name and agreed to a 30-day reprieve.
Canadians throughout the nation took a collective deep breath, and Ontario stated it will pause any retaliatory measures in the interim.
With the specter of tariffs quickly delayed — although there’s nonetheless a possible calamity on the horizon — the query is, what is going to this election be about?
Ford has made it clear he desires to proceed to wage this electoral battle primarily on the query on tariffs.
However does the reprieve supply his rivals an opportunity to shift the main focus to different vital provincial points? Learn extra about that right here.
The Ontario NDP, Liberals and Greens are all attempting to shift the narrative of the election towards different main points for voters. CBC Queen’s Park reporter Mike Crawley explains how.
The week in missteps
Like Trump, Ford has an enormous, baked-in benefit of dominating the eye cycle. He will get to be the PC chief, however he’s additionally nonetheless the premier and a distinguished voice on this tariff debate.
However in a scorching mic second this week that his opponents pounced on, Ford revealed he had been a Trump fan and was “100 per cent” comfortable when Trump was re-elected. That’s, till the president “pulled out the knife and f–king yanked it into us,” Ford stated.
After chatting with reporters on Monday, PC Social gathering Chief Doug Ford stated he was initially “happy” Donald Trump received the U.S. election till he threatened Canada with hefty tariffs.
After disavowing his earlier assist for Trump throughout a marketing campaign cease, Ford stated: “I’m sure there’s millions of Canadians that thought ‘OK, this might be a good change down in the U.S.’ — [but] it’s been a disaster… I’d never support that guy in my entire life.”
His political rivals shortly jumped on the recent mic remark. The Ontario Liberal marketing campaign ran an assault advert the subsequent morning, replaying the second a number of instances in a one-minute spot.
NDP Chief Marit Stiles used it as an opportunity to repeat her marketing campaign message that there are two totally different Fords.
“I think the fact that he keeps saying one thing in front of you and another thing behind doors tells you everything you need to know about Doug Ford,” she stated.
The following day, Ford was peppered with questions on his feedback throughout a cease in Ottawa. The day after that, his marketing campaign began limiting queries to at least one query and one follow-up from six reporters at every occasion.
After being captured on video saying he was comfortable President Donald Trump had received the latest U.S. election till the specter of tariffs, PC Chief Doug Ford advised reporters Tuesday that he thought “things might be a little different” with this Trump administration.
The week was not with out gaffes for Crombie, both.
In entrance of cameras in Hamilton, she learn out an electronic mail slamming the PCs for changing a Fort Erie emergency room to an pressing care centre.
The issue? That change was made again when the Liberals had been nonetheless in energy.
Because the context grew to become clear to her in actual time, Crombie set free an “oh, gosh” after which skipped forward to a different a part of the e-mail.
In the meantime, The Trillium fact-checked the declare plastered in block letters throughout the Liberals’ marketing campaign bus that 11,000 Ontarians had died whereas ready for surgical procedure final 12 months. The evaluation discovered the quantity is significantly inflated.
Requested in regards to the discrepancy, Crombie pointed to the persistence of ‘hallway health care’ in Ontario.
“So we stand by our statistics,” she stated.
What the polls say
Eric Grenier, the polling knowledgeable behind TheWrit.ca, dropped by the Metro Morning studio to offer an replace on the place the polls stand.
Spoiler alert: Ford’s PCs have a commanding lead.
Grenier’s evaluation is fascinating, as he aggregates the various polls which can be on the market to attract his conclusions.
PC Chief Doug Ford is main the provincial election marketing campaign, however by how a lot? Polling knowledgeable Eric Grenier breaks down the most recent numbers.
Let’s hear from the strategists
Metro Morning‘s political panel additionally teed off on the place the events stand, and the way the marketing campaign image is altering:
Metro Morning’s political panel debated the rationale behind Doug Ford’s momentum within the Ontario election marketing campaign — and which of the key get together leaders might show to be his strongest rival.
Are Ontario’s adverts offside through the marketing campaign?
Noticed on American TV: pro-Ontario advert spots.
The province is working a multi-million greenback advert marketing campaign with hopes of dissuading the U.S. from levying tariffs.
Usually authorities promoting is paused as soon as an election known as, however the province’s auditor normal — who oversees the ethics of advert spending — confirmed this kind of promoting is OK.
“In the case of this particular ad campaign, we determined that it is exempted from the prohibitions during the writ period because it is related to revenue-generating activity and is time-sensitive,” a spokesperson stated.
Answering some reader questions
Can we get a platform, please?
A number of readers have written us to ask about the place the key events stand on the problems that actually matter to them.
“I was wondering if you guys are planning to do policy summaries for this year’s provincial campaign,” Danny in Toronto wrote, for instance.
The quick reply is: sure! We’re hoping to launch our platform tracker characteristic early subsequent week.
One problem is that not one of the 4 main events have launched their full platforms but (probably a consequence of the snap election name).
However we’re doing our greatest to deliver you a primary model that shall be up to date as we go.
Within the final provincial election, the PCs selected to not launch an official platform in any respect, and as a substitute pointed to their price range as their record of guarantees. Ford stated they don’t intend to launch a platform this time both, so we’ll have to depend on the autumn financial assertion (mainly a mini-budget launched in October) and any new commitments that come up on the marketing campaign path.
Are you able to vote on-line?
A number of individuals have emailed to ask if they’ll vote on-line.
No, you’ll be able to’t vote on-line in Ontario.
There’s additionally a whack of electronic mail from snowbirds and sun-seekers questioning how they’ll forged a poll earlier than they go away the nation.
Possibility 1, for those who’re nonetheless right here: head to an area election workplace to get a particular poll.
Possibility 2, for those who’re not: apply to vote by mail as quickly as doable.
Learn extra on this right here, or head over to the Elections Ontario web site for details about voting.
Debates are coming
The 4 main get together leaders shall be in North Bay subsequent Friday for the primary debate of the marketing campaign, centered on points that matter most to Northern Ontarians.
It’s set for Friday at 1 p.m. ET and we’ll have dwell protection right here at CBC Information.
Markus Schwabe, the host of CBC Radio’s Morning North, will average the talk and pose questions on behalf of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities.
