As Premier Doug Ford weighs the pros and cons of calling an early election, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has started training staff on how to run an effective campaign, with multiple sessions slated for January and February this year.
Nearly three years after the last province-wide election, Ford has repeatedly floated the idea of requiring a new mandate in order to shore up Ontario’s economy and combat impending tariffs from the coming Trump administration.
The president-elect has vowed to levy a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports to the United States — which Ford has claimed would disproportionately impact Ontario’s economy over other provinces.
In response, Ford has said he could need to spend billions of dollars to stimulate the economy. That, the premier said, would mean he needs a fresh mandate from voters.
“If it comes to it and we have to spend tens of billions of dollars, we go to the people — let the people decide, it’s their money,” Ford said during a news conference on Monday.
While the premier said a final decision has yet to be made, behind the scenes, the party appears to be actively training staff for an upcoming election campaign.
An internal email, sent by the executive director of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, invited staff and volunteers to participate in “in-person and virtual campaign training in 2025.”
“It’s a chance for you to have individuals who will likely assume key campaign roles in the next election to learn the fundamentals of running a successful local campaign,” the internal email, obtained by Global News, reads.
The goal, the email said, was to “prepare local riding campaign teams” ahead of the next election but did not specify when voters would head to the polls.
The training sessions are focused on: campaign fundamentals; voter communication and identification; volunteer management; and getting out the vote.
While one preparedness meeting has already taken place, at least five more virtual and in-person training are scheduled for January and February. At least two, in London and Toronto, are scheduled for in-person training sessions.
While all provincial parties have been recruiting candidates, preparing their election war chest and drafting their platforms, the opposition parties have been urging Ford to avoid an early election call.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles suggested, similarly to the early response to COVID-19, Ford would have all-party support to quickly pass a tariff-focused stimulus package.
“We need leadership that puts the needs of working people and their families first for a change,” Stiles said in a statement.
“Right now, that means fighting like hell to protect every single job that is at risk because of Trump’s reckless threats to Ontario’s economy … rather than fighting an early election.”
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie claimed an early election call, in the middle of political upheaval in Ottawa, would create further instability.
“Doug Ford wants to abandon his post. He wants to run away from his duties as premier while facing the biggest battle our province has seen in a very long time,” Crombie said.
“Instead of treating looming tariffs as the serious threat they are, he wants to use them as an excuse for an illegitimate early election.”