NORTH BAY, Ont. -- The leaders of Ontario's New Democratic, Liberal and Green parties are going on the offensive against Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford in the first election debate of the campaign, pressing him in particular on his record on housing.
The debate is being held in North Bay specifically to discuss northern issues, but the leaders are discussing the housing supply crisis across the province.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner all say Ford is failing in his promise to build 1.5 million homes, with many of them reminding voters of the Greenbelt scandal.
Ford's government is under RCMP criminal investigation for its now-reversed decision to open up the protected Greenbelt 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.
When the moderator turned to Ford to allow him to defend his housing record, he immediately began talking about the fight against tariffs from the United States, which he has spoken about frequently on the provincial election campaign.
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.
This report by was first published Feb. 14, 2025.