We are going to the polls on February 27 to elect a provincial government. Why, might someone ask? Additionally, why is the election set for a Thursday? The last question is easier to answer. The legislation states that the provincial elections shall be held on the fifth Thursday after the call of the election. In this case with the call on the 29th of January the fifth Thursday is February 27. We will only have our votes solicited for four weeks.
As for the why? Our current premier Doug Ford says he requires a stronger mandate from Ontario voters to respond to the trade threats of Donald Trump. He already had a 50-seat lead in the legislature.
The Progressive Conservatives of Ontario will face off against the Liberals, led by Bonnie Crombie and the New Democrats led by Marit Styles. Both names are not known in the north, although municipal leaders would recognize Bonnie Crombie as the former mayor of Mississauga.
And you know that the election is coming with those two-hundred-dollar checks arriving in mailboxes from the provincial government.
You know it is a snap hurried up provincial election when a cabinet minister barely gets nominated ahead of the call. An announcement on Monday stated that incumbent Greg Rickford the Minister of Natural Resources had been unanimously picked to run again by the Progressive Conservative Party.
No persons have stepped forward from the Green, NDP or Liberal parties to represent the riding in the coming election. There are 124 electoral districts in Ontario and no party had filled candidates for all the seats at writing.
Doug Ford may be looking at a fight internationally over trade, but probably the biggest fight will be between the parties over health care in Ontario. The lineup last week for persons in Walkerton to be rostered by a doctor showcased Ontario’s doctor issue. Even though he has hired Dr. Jane Philpott to design a new health care system, her promise to have everyone registered with a primary care person within two years still rings hollow. It matched the promise of Bonnie Crombie to connect every Ontario resident with primary care within four years.
Locally, I am advised that the district could use twice as many doctors as currently look after citizens of the district.
Perhaps that is why on Monday, the Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, announced another $1.4 billion for primary health care and doctor shortages across the province. It is hoped that the funding increase will give two million residents primary health care with a physician within the mandate of the next provincial government.
This is election season. Promises often disappear in the wind.
