Doug Ford asking for a new mandate

Doug Ford was happy to do all of this and more without asking for a mandate from the electorate

Doug Ford has announced that Ontarians will go to the polls on 27 February 2025. Even though an election is not required until June 2026, Ford says he needs “a strong mandate” from the people to deal with Donald Trump and his proposed tariffs. This is definitely not because of an imminent RCMP investigation or because once Pierre Poilievre becomes PM, Ontario voters will likely vote against the party in power in Ottawa just as they have in every election for decades.

So here is a little fun refresher at some of the things Doug Ford was happy to do without asking our permission. 

1. Immediately closed the Science Centre because of a minor roof issue
2. Sold off Ontario Place to a spa company while spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund the construction of their facility
3. Underfunded provincial healthcare by 3.5 billion in 2020 alone (In fairness there wasn’t much need for public healthcare spending during a pandemic or anything). There really can be a whole list of healthcare blunders by this government
4. Forced people to wade through Staples stores to access provincial services
5. Invoked the Notwithstanding Clause to override individual rights
6. Spent hundreds of millions to get beer into convenience stores a bit earlier than he would have been able to otherwise
7. Repeatedly interfered in Toronto municipal politics because he’s still mad that the city wouldn’t elect him mayor
8. Abolished Rent Control (this one he specifically promised not to do)
9. Sold off the Greenbelt to developers who happened to be very generous gift givers at his daughter’s wedding
10. Appointed unqualified friends and supporters to plum positions making hundreds of thousands a year

And there is more. But, of course, all of these pale in importance to the need to stand up to Donald Trump on tariffs, a position basically everyone in Canada except Danielle Smith agrees on. 

Oh, and by the way this election will cost us $189 million, according to Elections Ontario.