Ontario party leaders spar over housing in first election debate

The leaders of Ontario’s New Democratic, Liberal and Green parties went on the offensive Friday against Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, who polls suggest is cruising to another majority government, in the first debate of the provincial election campaign.

The debate in North Bay, Ont., was held specifically to discuss northern issues. The leaders talked about road safety and infrastructure in the north, as well as the addictions crisis that has hit many northern communities hard, but the three party leaders also saw an opportunity to zero in on housing and Ford’s record across the province.

“Where are the homes that Doug Ford said he was going to build?” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said.

“Where are the homes, Doug? Because they’re not in our communities. They’re not in northern communities. They’re not anywhere in Ontario right now. He has not done a dang thing about it. That is the truth.”

Ontario’s housing starts were down 16 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year, and the province has not met any of its interim targets toward building 1.5 million homes since Ford promised that in the 2022 election.

Last year’s target was 125,000 homes, but Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., data show there were just over 72,000 housing starts in 2024 in Ontario. Government officials previously said that even though interest rates have been coming down, it takes a while for that decrease to have an impact and they still expect to meet the 1.5 million homes target.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said housing starts are low while housing prices are high in part because Ford has the wrong priorities.

“Most of the government’s housing plans have been: how do we unlock profits for wealthy land speculators, instead of how do we unlock affordable homes that people can afford,” Schreiner said.

“The result of their housing record is we have a whole generation of young people wondering if they’ll ever be able to afford a home.”

When Ford was asked to talk about housing, he said his government had cut red tape and regulations, and removed HST from purpose-built rental housing. But he spent most of his time criticizing the others’ housing records and plans.

He slammed Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie’s record as mayor of Mississauga, Ont., but she disputed his statements.

“Premier, you know, you talk a good tale and you sound kind of folksy and charming, but none of what you’re saying is actually true,” she said.

“You told us seven years ago you would end hallway health care. It’s gotten twice as bad. You said you’d cut our taxes, but you didn’t do that either. You didn’t get it done, and you said you’d build 1.5 million homes.”

When the moderator turned to Ford to allow him to defend his housing record, he immediately began talking about the fight against possible tariffs from the United States, which he has spoken about frequently on the campaign trail — prompting Stiles to exclaim, “Oh my gosh.”

The reference to U.S. President Donald Trump also prompted Stiles to accuse Ford of saying one thing in public and another in private, noting a video that recently caught Ford saying he had hoped Trump would win the U.S. election.

“You have shown us who you are,” Stiles said. “You say one thing in front of the public, like this, and you go to say another thing behind closed doors.”

Stiles noted the Greenbelt scandal as another example, as Ford had promised not to touch the protected area before he opened it up for development. Ford’s government is under an RCMP criminal investigation for its now-reversed decision to open up the lands to build 50,000 homes, a decision the auditor general said would have seen a few developers stand to benefit to the tune of $8.3 billion.

Leaders also denounced comments Ford made about the death penalty, as revealed by the Toronto Star. The newspaper reported that at a police gala in London, Ont., on the first day of the campaign Ford called for stronger penalties for home invaders who kill people so the offenders could be sent “right to sparky.”

A spokesperson for Ford said he doesn’t believe in the death penalty and made a “poor-taste joke” but Crombie said it is more evidence of Ford making different promises to different people.

“He says one thing in one place and then he says something else,” she said after the debate.

“We’ve heard him make statements when he thinks he’s in a private setting on opening up the Greenbelt … he flip flops all the time. It speaks to his character. We’re never really sure where he stands.”

Ford avoided answering reporters’ questions after the debate, with organizers saying he had another event to attend. There were no other events on his official itinerary Friday.

Roads in the north also took centre stage at the debate, with each leader taking a shot at how they would increase their safety.

Stiles pledged to widen Highways 11, 17 and 69 and Schreiner agreed, saying divided highways will increase safety.

“As premier, I’m going to bring winter road maintenance back in house and back under public government control, provincial control,” Stiles said.

Crombie pledged to provide more sustainable funding to municipalities to be able to spend money on road maintenance and safety initiatives.

Ford defended his government’s record over the last seven years. He pointed to a project expanding Highway 11/17 in northwestern Ontario and a $600-million investment to repair and expand highways. He also committed to twinning Highway 69 between Sudbury and Parry Sound, Ont., the only non-divided portion of that road between Toronto and Sudbury. Some of the land needed for that belongs to two First Nations.

“We’re going to help make sure it’s a two-lane highway on both sides, and they’re 100 per cent behind us,” Ford said of the First Nations.

The leaders also debated how they would deal with addictions, a subject that is among the top priorities for Ontario’s municipalities, but an issue that has not come up much during the campaign.

Opioids killed more than 2,600 Ontarians in 2023, the last full year of data available. Addictions and homelessness often go hand in hand and there are 1,400 encampments across the province.

Ford said he’d give municipalities more tools to clear encampments, though that legislation died when he called the election. He touted new homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs the province is opening, as it closes 10 supervised consumption sites.

The new hubs, Ford said, would “get people into detox, get them shelter, give them an opportunity to find employment.”

Crombie, who grew up in a rooming house in Toronto while her father lived with alcohol addiction, pledged more money to build shelters across the province.

“This is a provincial issue, it’s being downloaded to the municipalities,” she said. “It needs to be co-ordinated by the province, and there has to be proper funding behind it.”

Stiles said she’d increase mental health funding significantly and committed to having one mental health professional in every school in the province.

“You know what, the kids are not all right,” Stiles said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2025.

Allison Jones and Liam Casey, The Canadian Press