By Mike Anderson
With just three weeks to go, Premier Doug Ford’s decision to call a snap provincial election, the first winter election in over a century, appears to be working out for the PCs.
Recent polls indicate the PCs are significantly ahead of their political rivals.
According to the website 388Canada, as of February 6, the PCs are set to grab 45% of the vote, which is good for a projected 99 seats, while the Liberals trail with 27% (9 seats). The NDP is third with 19%, and the Ontario Greens trail the pack with 6%.
Only three candidates have been registered in York-Simcoe so far.
MPP Caroline Mulroney, the PC incumbent, who won the riding in a cakewalk in 2022 with 20,789 votes or 56.76% of the total.
Bradford resident Brent Fellman is the candidate for the New Blue Party. Fellman finished fifth in the riding in 2022, with 1,633 votes or 4.46% of the vote.
And, Georgina resident Jennifer Baron, entering her first campaign, represents the Green Party of Ontario. The Greens finished fourth in the riding in 2022, with 2,691 votes, representing 7.35% of the total vote.
Both the Liberals and the NDP, Ontario’s official opposition, have yet to announce their candidates for the ridding.
Candidates have until February 13 to register with Elections Ontario. There were a total of eight candidates in the 2022 election.
Mulroney kicked off her campaign with a series of funding and infrastructure announcements at her Holland Landing constituency office on January 28, one day before the start of Ontario’s 44th general election.
They included increased provincial funding for Southlake Health, a new long-term care facility and French elementary school in East Gwillimbury (EG), and grant funding to support GTTI, which offers skilled trades training in Georgina.
Mulroney also reaffirmed her government’s commitment to provide $24 million for a new phosphorus treatment plant for the Lake Simcoe watershed and outlined the progress on the Bradford Bypass, which will link the 404 and 400 highways.
“I am very pleased to be able to announce critical project progress on six projects that will make life easier for families right here in York-Simcoe,” Mulroney said.
“This progress represents a combined investment by our government of over $34 million.”
The event also provided media with an opportunity to question the PCs’ decision to call an early election, which has been widely criticized by the other parties.
But, when the issue was raised, Mulroney adeptly stayed on message.
“We are at a watershed moment in our country with the threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs. It’s important that we have a very strong mandate from the people that lasts even longer than Donald Trump’s mandate,” Mulroney said.
“A mandate from the people to provide the support that we know we will need to provide to Ontarians. We will require billions in new spending and want to make sure that we have the support of the people of Ontario to do that.”
