THUNDER BAY — With Premier Doug Ford indicating a possible early election, Lise Vaugeois, the MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, said an election is unnecessary right now.
Ford suggested an early election could be called if the U.S. imposes tariffs proposed by American president, Donald Trump.
Vaugeois said the NDP is ready, however, running an election now will cost taxpayers quite a lot of money.
“They have a majority. There is no reason to have an election,” said the NDP MPP. “Ford has been talking about this since last spring. This has not arisen because of the election of Trump. This is something that he has wanted and really, he wants to get out ahead of the RCMP criminal investigation into the Greenbelt. That's at least one piece of it.
“He is desperate to have an election now, and it's possible . . . his candidates have been told to open their offices by Feb. 1, so that's a very strong signal,” she said.
Vaugeois said she doubts there is an appetite among Ontario voters to run out to the polls in the upcoming months.
“I think that people are stressed and they're certainly worried about the threat of those tariffs from Trump. We need stability. We need people who are working together as teams, we need to be working across party lines, and having the election is the opposite of stability,” she said.
Vaugeois said the government needs to be collaborative and not spending money on an election.
“As I said, we are ready to go. This piece of me says OK, let's get it over with and let's get a new government in, but frankly, we live in unstable times and there are better uses for that public money right now,” she said.
Vaugeios said she feels like she has had a voice for her constituents as an MPP.
“I feel very grateful to the leadership and to how our party's been functioning, that I do have a voice and my voice is also shaping our policy. We know how important the North is to the economy of the province. We don't always benefit in the same way that Southern Ontario benefits from what gets generated here, and I have been able to make those points," she said.
"We have good Northern representation in the NDP, but this particular area is also unique, and we have our unique problems and I've been really proud, honoured to be able to have that voice and to be able to speak as often as I have,” added Vaugeois.
Vaugeois said the most prominent challenges in her riding include highway safety, funding of health care, school transportation, health concerns in First Nations and intimate partner violence.
