To:

Bonnie Crombie, Ontario Liberal leader,

Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Leader, 

Mike Schreiner, Ontario Green Party Leader

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Congratulations on handing Doug Ford a third majority.

 

While we saw the NDP celebrating being in second place in seats (although a distant third in votes), and the Liberals celebrating gaining five seats to reach official party status again, we instead felt a crushing sense of anger and despair that once again, the people of Ontario would suffer under four more years of Doug Ford.

 

You could have cooperated with each other as a united front against Doug Ford, and prevented him from running roughshod over Ontario for four more years. You—particularly the Liberals and the NDP—chose to fight for second place instead of fighting for Ontario. Claiming that you will hold him accountable is meaningless, as Doug Ford’s actions over the last seven years have clearly demonstrated that he will not be held to account so long as he has a majority.

 

To the Ontario NDP: We’ve heard you claim for two elections that you are next in line to be Premier because you are the Official Opposition, despite placing third in the polls. This is clearly not true. Your voting efficiency only demonstrates that you are popular in select areas, and support for your party is minimal elsewhere. Your unwillingness to cooperate will not win you enough seats to lead.

 

To the Ontario Liberals: We were appalled that you choose to go after NDP voters instead of working with them to drop out in ridings where the NDP had strength, in exchange for ridings where the NDP were weaker. Numerous ridings went to the PCs as a result. You spoke of a war-time effort as a response to tariffs. Where was that effort in response to Doug Ford?

 

To the Ontario Greens: We recognize and appreciate that your party has been more amenable to a cooperative approach than most, and commend two of your party members for attempting to do the right thing. As a newer party, we understand why running a full slate is important for you, but we question the decision not to encourage Green members to drop out or endorse opponents in close races.

 

We all know that Doug Ford will continue to damage Ontario to the benefit of his own friends and donors, and yet you chose to put your political gains over the good of Ontario. We hold you responsible for the upcoming crises and chaos over the next four years.

 

We have heard your excuses as to why you will not collaborate, why you do not support strategically fielding candidates, why you consider strategic voting a failed strategy from the opposite party instead of recognizing it for what it is: a last-ditch attempt from voters to cooperate with each other because you have refused to.

 

We have voted, volunteered, donated and advocated on behalf of the strongest candidates in each riding to defeat Doug Ford’s PCs. We are tired of petty inter-party politics in the face of real and multiple crises in healthcare, affordable housing, public education, secondary schools, farmland, the environment, and so much more.

 

We call on you to start co-operating now. You can signal a willingness to co-operate in the next election in numerous ways, such as making joint announcements in criticism of Doug Ford.

 

We know that there are members of your party who have been advocating for a more cooperative approach, but who have been shut down. We know there are candidates who were willing to endorse their opponents to defeat the PCs, but feared retribution from the party leadership. We call on party members to take the fight for a cooperative approach inside the party.

 

We are prepared push for this by every avenue available to us, including refusing to donate or volunteer for parties or candidates who do not support a cooperative approach. We are prepared to actively support those who openly support and are willing to fight for a cooperative approach.

 

We recognize that electoral reform would likely solve many of these problems, and we support this. We also recognize that Doug Ford is never going to support electoral reform while vote-splitting in a first-past the post system favours the Conservatives. Our hope is that a united front to defeat Doug Ford would also result in electoral reform. That said, many fairer voting systems would require parties to cooperate and collaborate. We call on you to demonstrate how a collaborative approach benefits Ontario by presenting a united front against Doug Ford from now through the next election.

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February 28th, 2025