Doug Ford promised Ontarians that “the party is over with taxpayers’ money,” when he was running for premier. But the government just released its budget update, and one thing is loud and clear: The party with taxpayers’ money keeps raging on at Queen’s Park.
The Ontario government’s recent budget update confirmed the government plans to borrow $14.6 billion this year. That’s more than double last year’s $6-billion deficit.
According to new data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., home building in Ontario plummeted in the first half of 2025 compared with prior years, making Premier Doug Ford’s target of 1.5 million new homes by 2031 look increasingly far-fetched.
While building more homes remains a challenge across much of Canada, the particularly sharp decline in Ontario undermines national progress. In the first half of 2025, housing starts in Ontario fell by 25 per cent compared with last year. Meanwhile, the rest of Canada saw a 17-per-cent increase in starts during the same period.
The Doug Ford Doctrine: ‘We really have to flex our muscles’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is hosting Canada’s premiers in Muskoka starting Monday at a Council of the Federation summer gathering. Premiers of the 13 provinces and territories can look forward to enjoying Alberta-bred and Ontario-fed beef on the grill at the Ford family cottage. They will have a special guest: Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“For the first time ever that I can remember,” Ford says, “the prime minister is invited. That would have never happened with Trudeau, but it’s happening under Mark Carney. And he’s going to be welcomed with open arms.”
OTTAWA — The premiers of Alberta and Ontario both said at a meeting Monday that they are cautiously optimistic that Prime Minister Mark Carney will successfully get a new oil pipeline built in Canada. But Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the planning should not be limited to just one.
Meeting with her Ontario counterpart in Calgary, Smith said Alberta crude oil should have access to a “growing share” of pipelines. “I’m of the view there’s probably room for more than one pipeline, probably several.”
Ontario is the sick man of Canada.
The heartland province, with almost 40 per cent of the country’s population and economy, was a national leader in agriculture, then in manufacturing, then in services and most recently in tech.
But today’s news is mostly bad news. Although the number of farms in Canada is dropping in most jurisdictions, Ontario’s decline is above the national average (2.5 per cent between 2016 and 2021, according to Statistics Canada, compared to 1.9 per cent nationally).
Now that Ontario’s controversial Bill 5 is law, all eyes are on what Premier Doug Ford does with the new powers it gives his government.
Bill 5, also called the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, empowers the government (among other things) to create special economic zones, where cabinet can exempt companies or projects from having to comply with any provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw.
Ford pitches Bill 5 as a way of shoring up Ontario’s economy in the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs by speeding up major infrastructure and resource projects.
I expect a great deal of pushback despite Bill 5 being a good thing for our moribund province.
The Ford government’s controversial mining legislation has passed its third reading and is set to become law, potentially triggering a face-off with First Nations communities in Ontario.
Among other changes, Bill 5, or the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, will create so-called special economic zones where a range of laws, ranging from municipal approvals to environmental rules or even labour law, won’t apply.
‘With the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald set to be unboxed in Ontario, better must be expected of Ford’s semi-Conservatives going forward.’
After five long and shameful years, a three-term Conservative majority is finally unboxing Sir John A. Macdonald on the front lawn of Queen’s Park. Everyday Ontarians helped pressure them into doing the right thing — some were even arrested for it — but now, better must be expected of a Ford government drawing frequent unflattering comparisons to the legacies of Dalton McGuinty, Kathleen Wynne, and the federal Liberals.
Woe Canada, Ontario claims to stand on guard for thee.
With the economy battered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and unemployment rising, Premier Doug Ford’s government has tabled a record $232.5-billion provincial budget to “protect Ontario” and promote national unity.
“When all of Canada wins, Ontario wins,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said Thursday in a boosterish speech that noted “it is amazing to witness the burst of patriotism across our province and our great country” in the face of Trump’s tariffs.
Premier Doug Ford government’s plan to rip up Toronto’s bike lanes faces its first legal challenge on Tuesday morning, with a hearing scheduled for a temporary injunction that could pause their removal for three weeks.
Cycle Toronto sought the injunction after Justice Markus Koehnen “strongly” urged the provincial government on Jan. 8 to pause its removal of bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge and University Streets until the cycling advocacy group’s Charter challenge hearing scheduled for April 16.
While Ontario Premier Doug Ford is fighting U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, he’s also imposing a higher provincial tax burden on Ontario families than the previous Liberal government of Kathleen Wynne, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute.
Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives’ victory in Thursday’s Ontario election came as the result of a campaign that focused ruthlessly on the one issue capturing the minds of Canadians right now, a leader who worked relentlessly to make the most of his opportunity, and perfect political timing.
Ford’s PCs were elected or leading in 80 of Ontario’s 124 seats early Tuesday, making him the first leader since the 1950s to win three consecutive majorities in this province
Success in politics means winning elections, so the majority three-peat means the name Doug Ford must now be included with the likes of Bill Davis, Leslie Frost, James Whitney and Oliver Mowat in conversations about the most successful Ontario premiers of all time.
Doug Ford wins third majority after gambling on winter election
Doug Ford’s $189-million gamble on an early Ontario election has paid off with a historic trifecta.
Ford defied the odds Thursday becoming the first premier to win three consecutive majority governments at Queen’s Park since Leslie Frost in 1959.
But the Progressive Conservative three-peat was tarnished by a record-tying low voter turnout of about 44 per cent — echoing the June 2022 results — and the fact he failed to win the larger mandate he had sought.
Well we were right about low voter turn out. Of course the Star is doing its best to make it look like a massive Ford Fail.
PC MAJORITY – Doug Ford’s PC Party wins snap Ontario election, securing third majority
Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party has won the Ontario election, securing a third straight majority win.
“I’ll fight tooth and nail against Donald Trump, I’ll promise you that,” Ford told CP24 before heading to his election night party after the results came in.
“I’m very grateful for the people of Ontario. We’re gonna make sure we protect the people of Ontario – protect their families and protect their jobs.”
A couple of seats remain outstanding and may go PC.
I predict …. aww who cares.
338Canada Ontario [Final Pre-Election Seat Projection: PC 92 seats (46% popular vote), ONDP 16 (18%), OLP 14 (28%), Green 2 (6%)]
Uninspiring political leadership across the board, larger national concerns, a mild snow storm and general apathy should be enough to set a new low voter turnout record.
Doug Ford‘s Progressive Conservatives are poised to win a third straight majority in Thursday’s provincial election, a new poll suggests.
But the Abacus Data survey for the Star indicates Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals could leapfrog Marit Stiles’ New Democrats into second place forming Official Opposition.
In the final poll of the campaign, Ford’s Tories were at 46 per cent support, well ahead of Crombie’s Liberals at 28 per cent, Stiles’s New Democrats at 16 per cent and Mike Schreiner’s Greens at five per cent.
