June 2026 in Ontarian Politics
- Joshua Zhuang
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Doug Closes Legislature, Calls Extended Summer Recess
After just 29 days of sitting in the legislature following an extended 14-week winter break, Doug called another 21-week break on June 2. He insisted that his government had better things to do than remain “sitting… and arguing” with the opposition, apparently forgetting that the whole point of an opposition is to hold the government accountable to the rest of us. This recess means no more debates or Question Periods until MPPs return to Queen’s Park on October 27, closing the shades on a vital part of our democracy. The OLP, NDP, and Greens all rightfully slammed the move as a cowardly escape from mounting public pressure following months of scandals and declining popularity.
Protestors Disrupt Ford Fest; PCs Photoshop Them Out
Doug’s annual celebration of himself was interrupted this year by more than 800 protestors from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, plus more from various other advocacy groups. They drowned out most of Doug’s 10-minute long speech, which presumably contained little information of value anyway, and forced him to leave the venue right after he finished speaking. Two PC MPPs later posted a photo of the crowd that the public immediately noticed had been edited to make the protestors - who’d mainly worn purple - look like supporters in PC blue, because nothing says respect for democracy like pretending no one opposes you. When reached for comment, a spokeswoman for the Premier’s Office tried waving the editing aside as a “standard and routine [colour correction] practice.” Right.
Metrolinx Wastes $504 Million in Taxpayer Dollars on Now-Useless Upgrades
Metrolinx, the provincial agency famous for its flawless deliveries of transit infrastructure, admitted on June 25 that it would be writing off $504 million that it’d been spending on updating signaling infrastructure near Union Station. The upgrades, which began in 2013, were found to be incompatible with the province’s GO Expansion plans. This marks just the latest blunder for Metrolinx, which, this February, finally opened the Eglinton LRT six years late and $1 billion over budget. It remains to be seen whether this black hole for our tax dollars will be able to redeem itself with the Ontario Line, but I’m personally not holding my breath.
Erskine-Smith Declines Run for OLP Leadership
Also on June 25, MP and one-time federal cabinet minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith announced that he wouldn’t be running in the Ontario Liberal leadership race. Erskine-Smith had widely been expected to toss his hat into the ring, having done so for the last leadership in 2023, and even as recently as April the Toronto Star had crowned him the “apparent front-runner” for the party’s top job. Unfortunately, those lofty aspirations were shot out of the sky by an upset loss to businessman Ahsanul Hafiz in the party’s nomination race in Scarborough Southwest. He now seems poised to pivot to municipal politics, reportedly considering running as a city council candidate in his ward of Beaches-East York. I wish all the best to Erskine-Smith in his future endeavors.
Doug's Approval Rating Plummets to 21%
On June 11, the Angus Reid Institute announced that their latest poll had Doug Ford’s approval rating at a pathetically abysmal 21%. This represents a drop of almost a third since March 2026 and is the lowest of all premiers the poll considered - even Albertan Premier Danielle Smith, in hot water over a proposed separation referendum, remains almost twice as popular with Albertans as Ford does with Ontarians. His response? He humbly vowed to do better and – no freaking way. He immediately accused Angus Reid of getting their results from a “hardcore NDP neighborhood” and insisted that he’d form a “massive majority” if an election were held today.
Other Headlines
Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne donates to Fairclough’s bid for OLP leadership
Treasury Board President and MPP Caroline Mulroney resigns from cabinet and legislature, citing personal reasons
Abacus Data: 70% of Ontarians seek change in government
Ontario Young Liberals plan annual summer gathering for August in London
Feds begin public consultations on future of Billy Bishop Airport
Province launches three new pathways to PR via Ontario Workforce Priority Stream
Metrolinx rewrites contract for delay-plagued Hazel McCallion LRT, promises 2028 completion
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