Alison Jones and Holly Mackenzie-Suther, Canadian Press Published on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 8:35 AM EDT Last updated: Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 4:17 PM EDT
TORONTO – The election campaign in Ontario should officially begin on Wednesday, after the vice-governor accepted the advice of Prime Minister Doug Ford to dissolve the provincial parliament.
Lieutenant-Governor Elizabeth Daudewell officially set June 2 as the date of the election.
Politicians in Ontario have been campaigning unofficially for weeks, with two of the three major parties launching their platforms.
On his way to meet Dowdswell on Tuesday afternoon, Ford said people would have a “very clear choice” on June 2.
“This election is about one simple thing,” he said. “Either the people of this province will choose to go back … or they will choose prosperity, building things, bridges on roads and highways, as we do.”
Research at the moment shows that Ford’s progressive conservatives are ready for re-election, with third liberals potentially outpacing the NDP to form the official opposition.
But NDP leader Andrea Horvat said on Tuesday that her party was the best bet for what she called “job number one” – defeating Ford’s progressive conservatives.
At an event in Toronto, Horvath noted that her party formed the official opposition in the legislature in 2018, while the Liberals entered the race this time with only seven seats.
She also highlighted her party’s promises in the OHIP mental health coverage platform, hiring more health workers and providing more affordable housing as priorities for the upcoming campaign.
“We know that the things that are most important to the people can be addressed if we come together this time and make sure that Doug Ford is defeated by voting for the NDP,” she said.
Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca said Ford and Horvath “seem to be on the same page”, both targeting him, including any party that advertised against Del Duca last year.
“I understand that they will continue to focus on me … I will focus on the 15 million people who call this province home, and what they need, what they are looking for and what they are hoping for when we leave this pandemic, for a quality of life that I think they deserve, “Del Duca said.
The Liberals released a series of digital videos Tuesday morning to introduce Del Duca to voters. Although he was a cabinet minister in the former liberal government, polls show he is not well known to the general public.
The videos show Del Duca cooking with his wife and two daughters and telling jokes about his father, looking at old photos with his parents and talking about the loss of his younger brother four years ago in a car accident.
Elections Ontario, meanwhile, is encouraging residents to vote earlier this year in hopes of diluting crowds in polling stations amid the pandemic.
When voters show up on election day, they will see floor signs for physical distancing, plexiglass screens, hand sanitizers and masks – no face covers will be required from voters or staff, but will be delivered to those who want them.
But for those who want to avoid this, there will be 10 days in advance instead of five, and Elections Ontario has a new online process for applying by mail.
Elections Ontario has also launched a new app that will allow voters to map their polling stations, see information about candidates, options for voting methods and receive notifications when a new candidate registers. It also provides an electronic version of the voter information card, complete with a barcode.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 3, 2022.
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