18 Feb 2025
Ontario Leaders’ Debate 2025: Key Takeaways and What Voters Need to Know
Ontario Leaders’ Debate 2025: A Defining Moment Before the Election
On February 17, 2025, the four major Ontario party leaders took the debate stage for what might be the most consequential 90 minutes of the campaign. With just ten days before the provincial election, Doug Ford, Bonnie Crombie, Marit Stiles, and Mike Schreiner faced off in a high-stakes battle over leadership, the economy, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure. The debate wasn’t just about policies—it was about trust, vision, and who voters believe can navigate Ontario’s future.
I’ll be the first to say…it ain’t Dougie. The former drug dealer has a bigger chip on his shoulder than I do and he’s out for revenge. Selling off Toronto bit by bit. Healthcare is next.
Having said that, here’s an unbiased (lol) reporting of what went down last night.
Leadership & The U.S. Tariff Threat
Doug Ford wasted no time framing the election as a referendum on leadership, using the looming threat of potential U.S. tariffs under a possible second Trump presidency to position himself as Ontario’s economic defender. Well, we know he doesn’t care about anything but himself and his buddies. You can read up on those details in a previous blog here: Doug Ford’s Latest Con: A Snap Election to Cover His Tracks.
- Ford’s argument: Ontario’s economy is built on a strong foundation, with over $70 billion in investment and 850,000 jobs created under his leadership. He claimed that regardless of what happens in Washington, his government would fight to protect jobs, diversify trade, and attract global investment.
- The pushback:
- Marit Stiles (NDP) and Mike Schreiner (Green) both took aim at Ford’s track record, questioning whether his policies have made life more affordable for everyday Ontarians.
- Bonnie Crombie (Liberal) emphasized the need for “integrity and vision,” indirectly challenging Ford’s credibility and his ability to lead through economic turbulence.
Why this matters:
Ontario’s economy is deeply tied to U.S. trade policies, especially in industries like manufacturing and automotive. Ford is banking on voters believing he’s the best equipped to handle economic threats, but opposition leaders argue that his government’s spending priorities and lack of affordability measures have weakened Ontario’s economic resilience.
Healthcare: 2.5 Million Ontarians Without a Family Doctor
Healthcare remains a crisis, with a staggering 2.5 million Ontarians lacking access to a family doctor. This alarming statistic set the stage for one of the most heated exchanges of the night.
Ford defended his government’s efforts, pointing to the hiring of additional healthcare workers and investment in medical school spots. But this is the same promise he made in 2018 when he campaigned on ‘ending hallway medicine.’ After seven years in power, hallway medicine hasn’t ended—it has worsened. Emergency rooms are closing, nurses are burning out, and Ontarians are waiting months, sometimes years, to get the care they need. The promise of more medical school spots is a convenient talking point during an election, but it does nothing for the people suffering right now.
Crombie promised guaranteed access to a family doctor within four years, a bold claim that would require significant structural reform. Is this the time to be talking about complete overhauls of our healthcare system? I guess so since the alternative is privatization.
Here’s Crombie’s Plan
- Educating, Attracting, and Retaining Physicians: Crombie aims to increase the number of family doctors by expanding medical education opportunities, streamlining the integration of internationally trained physicians, and offering incentives to encourage practice in underserved areas.
- Enhancing Ontario Health Teams (OHTs): By improving the OHT network, the plan seeks to provide team-based care, ensuring that family doctors collaborate with other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive services close to patients’ homes.
- Modernizing Healthcare Infrastructure: The initiative includes updating outdated systems, such as eliminating the use of fax machines, and extending appointment availability to evenings and weekends to accommodate diverse schedules.
- Reforming Walk-In Clinic Policies: Crombie proposes ending penalties for patients and doctors who utilize walk-in clinics, thereby improving accessibility and reducing barriers to care.
Implementing this plan would require significant investment and coordination among various stakeholders, including educational institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies. It’s an ambitious project that takes it a step further than Dougie’s. It aims to tackle the problem long term by focussing on local education (like Doug) but also includes a more efficient bridging process for Doctors educated globally. That gets Drs into hospitals now.
Stiles and Schreiner accused Ford of underfunding healthcare, arguing that the system is buckling under his policies, with hospital wait times and staffing shortages reaching critical levels. They pointed out that Ford’s government not only failed to deliver on past promises but actively made things worse by picking fights with healthcare workers, freezing wages, and driving professionals out of the province.
The bigger picture:
Ontario’s healthcare system has been strained for decades, but the pandemic exposed deep flaws. Ford had a mandate and time to fix it but did nothing—and now, in an election year, he’s recycling the same empty promises. Every election comes with grand commitments, but this time, voters should ask themselves: if he couldn’t deliver in seven years, why should they believe him now?
Housing Crisis: 1.5 Million New Homes, But How?
Every leader committed to building 1.5 million new homes, but their plans couldn’t be more different.
Crombie & Ford will make real estate more expensive.
Ford faced backlash over the Greenbelt controversy and accusations of benefiting developers at the expense of long-term planning. His government attempted to justify opening up protected lands under the pretense of solving the housing crisis, but the reality is clear: those lands were handed to developers with close ties to his government, many of whom were set to make millions off deals that had nothing to do with affordability.
The scandal became so egregious that the government was forced to reverse course, but not before further eroding public trust. Who exactly was this housing for? Multimillionaires and speculators? Ford’s developer allies have shown no interest in solving the real housing crisis—affordable housing and rental supply—beyond what is legally required of them.
Crombie focused on first-time homebuyers, positioning her party as the one that would help young Ontarians enter the market. While this plays well with middle-class voters, it fails to address the root issue—Ontario has a severe shortage of affordable rental units and social housing. Homeownership is a long-term goal for some, but for the growing number of Ontarians struggling to keep a roof over their heads, it’s not even on the table.
I HATE it when politicians talk about the “poor first time buyer”. I can’t LOL loud enough. Any effort to help more buyers enter the market will make real estate more expensive. If the government’s going to help people buy, I think a shared equity program like our Feds have is a way better and more sustainable option for the market.
I get it, you need to pander to that voter base but no politician can make real estate more affordable. It’s a blatant lie. Sure, policies can make purchasing more ACCESSIBLE. So then we have to play this rate game to manage mortgage payments. And we’ve all see where that goes.
Stiles and Schreiner prioritized rent control and tenant protections, arguing that Ford’s government has fueled housing speculation and allowed for illegal evictions. Their approach suggests that simply building more homes isn’t enough—ensuring those homes are accessible to lower-income Ontarians is the real challenge. Rent control and stricter protections against evictions would prevent predatory landlords from continuing to displace tenants in the name of higher profits.
Why this matters
Ontario’s housing crisis isn’t new, but skyrocketing rents (yes yes, we know, rents have come down recently and the investment landscape has changed) and home prices have turned it into a generational problem. Ford is counting on voters believing that supply is the answer, while opposition leaders argue that affordability measures are just as important.
The reality? Ford’s housing plan isn’t about fixing the crisis—it’s about rewarding the same developer class that has profited off Ontario’s housing shortages for years. The province needs a real strategy to house the unhoused, expand affordable rental supply, and protect tenants from exploitation—not just a blank cheque for Ford’s friends in the development industry.
Infrastructure & Transportation: A $150 Billion Question
Infrastructure was another flashpoint, with Ford announcing a $150 billion 401 tunnel project that immediately sparked debate.
- Ford argued the tunnel would alleviate congestion and be a game-changer for commuters and transport trucks.
- Crombie countered that Ontario needs better public transit, not mega-projects that could take decades to complete.
- Schreiner pitched truck-only lanes on the 407, a lower-cost solution that could reduce congestion more efficiently.
Key takeaway:
Infrastructure spending is essential, but the debate highlighted competing priorities—long-term mega-projects vs. immediate fixes.
Post-Debate Fallout: Ford’s Absence in the Scrum
One of the most viral moments came after the debate when Doug Ford skipped the traditional post-debate media scrum.
- Crombie called him out, saying Ford’s absence was telling: “It tells you a lot about who he is. He doesn’t want to be accountable to the media or to anybody else.”
- Stiles doubled down, reminding voters that Ford is under an RCMP investigation, stating, “You cannot trust him.”
Why this matters:
Post-debate media scrums are a key opportunity for leaders to reinforce their messages and take questions. Ford’s decision to skip it fuels criticism that he avoids scrutiny.
Final Thoughts: What Happens Next?
With only ten days left before Ontarians cast their votes, the battle lines are clear:
- Ford is positioning himself as Ontario’s economic shield.
- Crombie is pushing for change and a Liberal-NDP voter coalition.
- Stiles is framing herself as the fighter against corporate interests.
- Schreiner is calling for affordability and sustainability.
What remains uncertain?
Whether voters see Ford’s leadership as stable or stagnant, and if Crombie, Stiles, or Schreiner can galvanize enough support to shift the election momentum.
What’s Your Take?
Who do you think won the debate? Who made the most convincing argument? Neither of them in my opinion but if we could some sort of Crombie/Stiles/Schreiner hybrid…we’d be good to go.
