Three of the four main party leaders kicked off the final week of the election campaign by focusing their efforts in southwestern Ontario.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, and Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca battled it out for votes in the region Sunday. Both Horwath and Del Duca campaigned in Windsor on Sunday, while Horwath also make appearances in Chatham and London, and Ford held a rally in London.
The leaders campaigned in a region that, at the dissolution of the Legislature, had New Democrat MPPs in Windsor-West, Windsor-Tecumseh, London-Fanshawe, London-West, and London-North-Centre. The PCs have held the ridings for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, and Elgin-Middlesex-London.
Andrea Horwath began the day in Essex alongside NDP candidate Ron LeClair, pledging her party would train and hire 30,000 nurses and 10,000 new PSWs.
“We’re going to stop the cuts and invest so people can live at home longer,” said Horwath “With our plan, seniors will get home care as often as they need, wherever they live. We’ll end the last-minute cancellations, no-shows, and rushed PSWs that don’t have enough time to deliver what’s needed.”
In Windsor, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca pledged to get to the bottom of Ford’s energy cuts and failures, which he said led to the loss of LG Chem’s planned $2.5 billion investment in Windsor.
“Ontario Liberals will ask the Independent Electricity Systems Operator (IESO) to conduct and release an independent review into the warnings the Premier ignored, and his cuts, delays and indecision that led to Windsor being unable to provide the 15 megawatts of power required by LG Chem in 2024,” said Del Duca.
Ford was introduced at his London rally by Lambton-Kent-Middlesex incumbent Monte McNaughton, but a man got onstage and demanded Ford “be honest with Ontario” about privatization of health care.
The man was quickly ushered off stage as chants of “get it done” came from the audience.
Ford continued the rally and touched briefly on the party’s main platform issues: the economy and infrastructure.
“We’re the only party with a positive plan to build Ontario.” Ford said “It starts with better jobs and bigger paycheques.” Part of the PC plan to get more jobs to London specifically, is to begin producing medical grade gloves and to relocate the head office of WSIB to the city.
“Our plan will build highways and key infrastructure. We’re building Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, we’re saying yes to finally building the road to ‘the ring of fire’, and yes to the largest investment in public transit in Canadian history, including bringing the GO Train service to London.”
Earlier in the week, Ford announced that it would take $86.6 billion over 10 years to complete the PC infrastructure plan.
In an interview with CK News Today, Horwath stated that she is opposed to the PC’s plan.
“We don’t need massive highways to mansions that nobody can afford,” the NDP Leader said. “Not only is it a massive, massive expenditure but it also is going to cut into the greenbelt.” She said that money spent on infrastructure should go towards upgrading existing roads, like Highway 3 and Highway 7, and investing in public transit.
Horwath also said that building new highways is not an answer to climate change. “The climate emergency is real and these kind of solutions that Doug Ford is trying to convince people are appropriate, we all know, are completely irresponsible.”
Del Duca has also voiced his opposition to Highway 413, saying that that money should instead be invested in Ontario’s schools.
Ontarians who have not cast their ballots at advanced polls will vote on Thursday, June 2.
