Five takeaways from the final Ontario election debate

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With 10 days to go before election day in Ontario, the four main party leaders met for the second – and final – debate of the campaign.

The televised live studio debate, moderated by CBC journalist David Common at the public broadcaster’s headquarters in downtown Toronto, was a chance for the candidates to hammer home their points and take on each other before the Feb. 27 vote.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has been leading comfortably in the polls since calling the snap vote nearly a year-and-a-half early, using his re-election campaign to portray himself as the best person to take on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Leader Mike Schreiner, however, have been trying to steer the discussion back to provincial issues, such as housing and health care, while arguing that Mr. Ford’s early election call in the middle of the crisis is irresponsible and self-serving.

The four leaders had just met for their first face-to-face debate on Friday in North Bay, in an event mostly focused on Northern Ontario issues, making Monday’s prime-time clash the only chance most Ontarians had to see those vying for their vote in a televised contest.

Here are some key takeaways from the final debate:

Ford on the defensive

Not surprisingly, Mr. Ford was the subject of the most criticism from his rivals, especially Ms. Crombie, who frequently talked over the PC Leader and accused him of failing to “get it done” – his campaign slogan from the 2022 election. Mr. Ford was the target of condemnation over hallway health care, cost of living, the redevelopment of Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront, which requires $2.2-billion in taxpayer subsidies, as well as his proposal to build a Highway 401 tunnel that experts say could cost up to $120-billion.

“A fantasy tunnel, how dumb is that, Doug?” Ms. Crombie asked.

Mr. Ford, in turn, accused his three opponents of wanting to “tax people to death” and repeatedly targeted Ms. Crombie for her economic record when she was mayor of Mississauga.

Trump tariffs

The tariff topic came up early in the debate, with the leaders being asked right off the bat, “What makes you the best leader to respond to the tariff threat?” Mr. Ford focused on his campaign pitch that he will keep the country united, expand the economy and diversify trade. “I will fight like I’ve never fought before to protect the people of Ontario,” Mr. Ford said.

Ms. Stiles highlighted what she called the PC Leader’s “bad deals” and waste, and said she would fight rising costs and defend every job. Ms. Crombie zeroed in on her campaign pledge to get every Ontarian a family doctor and cut middle-class taxes – “we’ll get the basics right” – while Mr. Schreiner said he is the type of leader who puts people before self and would not “abandon” his job by calling an early election.

Health care

All three opposition leaders have been keen to move the campaign’s focus to issues other than Mr. Trump, such as Ontario’s struggling health care system. In addition to rural ER shutdowns and long waits, the Ontario Medical Association has estimated that 2.5 million people lack access to a family doctor – something the three leaders pledged to fix in four years.

Ms. Crombie accused Mr. Ford, who has pledged to expand the use of private clinics, of not believing in public health care.

Mr. Ford said no government has spent more on health care, and he said he had reduced backlogged surgeries and hired former federal Liberal cabinet minister Jane Philpott to redesign the primary care system. “Yeah, you had to hire a Liberal!” Ms. Crombie retorted.

Ms. Stiles said she would recruit more nurses, and pay them better, citing the PC government’s wage-cap legislation, which was overturned in the courts.

The NDP also targeted Ms. Crombie with a pointed question, alleging that the Liberal Leader had received $25,000 in donations from “private health care insiders” – something Ms. Crombie did not deny, but said she was following fundraising rules. Ms. Crombie later appealed to NDP voters to support her campaign in order to beat the PCs.

Greenbelt admission

Facing a question over his aborted plan to allow certain developers to build on parts of the protected Greenbelt, which is under criminal investigation by the RCMP, Mr. Ford bluntly admitted that he had broken his promise not to touch the ecologically sensitive zone. He had initially been caught on video promising chunks of the Greenbelt to developers in 2018, but vowed after backlash to leave the protected area alone. In 2022, he broke that promise before he was forced to back down. He said he wouldn’t do it again.

“No, and I think I was pretty clear. I said I was, and then I wasn’t, and then I went ahead and did it,” Mr. Ford said, prompting laughter from the other leaders. “But in saying that, you know something? I apologized to the people. Unlike any of you, when you do something, you don’t want to apologize.”

Memorable quotes

“I’ll tell you, the economy would go down quicker than the Canadian bobsled downhill.” – Mr. Ford on his three opponents’ economic abilities.

“It tells you a lot about Doug. He doesn’t want to be accountable to the media or anyone else.” – Ms. Stiles on Mr. Ford’s decision not to face questions from reporters after Monday night’s debate.

“You were raised privileged with a silver spoon in your mouth, you didn’t have to work for anything.” – Ms. Crombie, speaking to Mr. Ford about his upbringing.

“Unfortunately in Ontario right now, the rich insiders are getting richer and the rest of us are just struggling to get by.” – Mr. Schreiner.