EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has confirmed he's calling an early election that will begin on Wednesday.
Ford currently holds a strong majority in the legislature, and the next scheduled vote is not until June 2026 — but the premier said he needs a strong mandate to fight against U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs.
"We need a mandate from the people to fight against Donald Trump's tariffs," he said at a press conference at Brampton City Hall. "The attack is coming against our families, our businesses, our communities, and with a strong mandate, we will be able to fight with Donald Trump to make sure we stop the tariffs and make sure that we give certainty to the people of Ontario."
"It may take investing tens of billions of dollars," he added, comparing the severity of the tariff threat and the required response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We'll do tens of billions of dollars."
Ford spent much of the press conference justifying his decision to send Ontarians to the polls early.
He was asked if he is worried that he won't get the stronger mandate that he argues is essential for defeating the tariff threat.
One journalist asked him if he is "haunted by the ghost of David Peterson," a Liberal former Ontario premier who triggered an early election in 1990 as he, like Ford, was riding high in the polls. Peterson, like Ford, said he called the election to protect the province during a time of national uncertainty. Peterson was accused of political opportunism, and the NDP was elected with a majority government.
"I love you media, you guys are classic," Ford replied. "But 35 years ago, he woke up and decided to call election. He wasn't facing the largest attack in the history of our country, attack against our families."
While the opposition parties have tried to make the case that Ford is trying to outrun the ongoing RCMP investigation into his Greenbelt scandal, journalists asked Ford about other potential political calculations at play.
One journalist asked if he was trying to get ahead of the federal election, which is widely expected to see Conservative Pierre Poilievre elected this spring and impose cuts that could affect Ontario.
Ford said he was not.
"Well, my job, when we hopefully get a big mandate, is going to be standing up to any federal government that wants to cut health care from Ontario, cut jobs from Ontario to tax people from Ontario," he said.
Ford will visit Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont on Tuesday, kicking off a campaign that will begin the following day. Election day will be Feb. 27.
More to come.
