Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford leave after speaking with reporters about first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Jan. 15, 2025.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has invited MPPs, candidates and campaign managers to a full-day meeting to talk strategy ahead of what’s expected to be a snap election call from Premier Doug Ford as early as next week.
The e-mail sent by PC campaign manager Kory Teneycke inviting candidates to the full-day “super caucus meeting” on Saturday at a Toronto-area airport hotel was obtained by The Globe and Mail from a PC party source. The Globe is not identifying the source, who is not authorized to speak publicly about internal deliberations.
The invitation references the “unprecedented threat” posed by a potential trade war with the United States, and says it is “more important than ever to be prepared for an election to secure a strong mandate from voters.”
“This meeting will provide you with the tools, training and resources needed for a winning election campaign and position our party for success,” it says.
If an election were to be called next week, Ontario’s 28-day election period would mean that voters would head to the polls in late February.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on live television Monday evening that he plans to impose 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods as soon as Feb. 1. Soon after, Mr. Ford’s chief of staff, Patrick Sackville, said in an internal memo obtained by The Globe that “as we enter a period of unparalleled economic risk and critical negotiations, our government will need a strong mandate from the people to stand up for Ontario with President Trump, Canada’s federal government and other provinces to ensure we can effectively respond to, outlast and, ultimately, win this fight.”
Mr. Ford has repeatedly declined to rule out calling an election more than a year in advance of the next scheduled vote, set for June, 2026.
The Premier himself also made it clear on Wednesday that an early provincial election in Ontario could be imminent. He has said for weeks that he could need a new mandate to justify spending tens of billions of dollars to cushion the blow of Mr. Trump’s tariffs – an idea that opposition leaders at Queen’s Park dismiss, noting that Mr. Ford has a comfortable majority in the legislature.
Asked if he was calling one, Mr. Ford told reporters: “Stay tuned. But we need a mandate from the people.”
“We need a mandate to protect and possibly spend billions of dollars to protect people’s jobs, to protect businesses and to protect communities,” he said.
“There’s only … one group that is going to give you the mandate, and that’s the people. And that’s what’s great about democracy.”
After walking away from the cameras, he added: “Off the record, you guys, your bosses are going to love it. There’s maybe tons of advertising and you get to keep your job for another year or two.”
Saturday’s meeting includes updates from PC pollster Nick Kouvalis, a session on campaign messaging and strategy with Mr. Teneycke, and remarks from Mr. Ford, according to the e-mail. It also features candidate headshots with the Premier, door-knocking training, voter identification and fundraising insights.
“Your participation is crucial to ensuring a successful campaign and our collective success as a team,” it says.
Opposition parties have decried Mr. Ford’s apparent plans, saying that he should be focusing on a comprehensive plan to counter U.S. tariffs – not an early provincial election.