Ontario election: three key moments on the campaign trail this week

From left: Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford and NDP Leader Marit Stiles are seen in this composite photo. (The Canadian Press)

The Ontario election campaign is more than halfway through. Here’s a look at the three key moments that happened on the campaign trail this week.

Mr. Ford goes to Washington

Doug Ford played the dual role of election candidate and premier this week, leading a delegation of Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders in Washington, D.C. in a fight against incoming tariffs.

Ford called a provincial vote more than a year early, asking for a mandate to “outlive and outlast” Donald Trump’s presidency, arguing he is the only leader able to protect the province from the damage tariffs would do.

The Progressive Conservative leader’s message of collaboration was shared with a room of mostly Canadian leaders in an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Canada’s Premiers scored a last-minute meeting at the White House, sitting down with James Blair, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs, and Sergio Gor, Trump’s director of personnel.

After the meeting, Blair posted on social media, calling the meeting “pleasant,” but added that he “never agreed that Canada would not be the 51st state.”

A highlight video reel of the trip posted to Ford’s social media has prompted complaints by New Democrats to the Integrity Commissioner and Elections Ontario. The video concluded with the PC logo and campaign slogan “Protect Ontario.”

The province’s ethics watchdog permitted Ford’s trip to Washington, provided it wasn’t used for partisan purposes.

Hours after the initial post, the video was removed and reposted with the logo and slogan removed.

A campaign spokesperson said, “footage of the premier being the premier is routinely used in political social content,” but the campaign branding was pulled “out of an abundance of caution.”

Off message, off-script

Doug Ford’s tendency to wander off script created fresh controversy on Thursday evening.

In a newly surfaced video from the London Police Service’s gala on Jan. 29, the Progressive Conservative leader seemed to endorse the death penalty for violent criminals.

In his speech on the first evening of the election, Ford suggests provinces “take over” some of the Criminal Code of Canada and toughen penalties for home invaders.

“God forbid they kill an innocent person, I don’t even go them 25 years, I send ‘em right to sparky,” Ford said.

A campaign spokesperson says Ford doesn’t support capital punishment but made a joke in poor taste out of frustration.

Reporters had hoped to ask Ford about his comments after a debate in North Bay Friday but were told he had left for a scheduled event.

Feisty first debate

All four major party leaders converged on North Bay on Friday for the first of two debates.

Doug Ford’s challengers were on offence, challenging the Progressive Conservative Leader’s record on issues like housing and addictions.

“Where are the homes, Doug?” NDP leader Marit Stiles asked.

“They’re not in our communities. They’re not in northern communities. They’re not anywhere in Ontario right now. He has not done a dang thing about it.”

In defending missing his own housing targets, Ford turned to attacking his opponents, including the Liberal leaders’ time as mayor of Mississauga.

“Bonnie Crombie had the lowest builds in all of Ontario. And Mr. Schreiner, he won’t cut down the dandelion to put the shovels in the ground.”

Crombie countered that she was proud of her record and her city.

“Mississauga’s not proud of you, I’ll tell you that much,” Ford quipped back.

The leaders will reconvene for a televised debate in Toronto on Monday evening. You will be able to watch it LIVE on CP24 and CTV as well as CP24.com, the CP24 app, CTVNewsToronto.ca and the CTV News app.