Ontario party leaders spar over housing in first election debate

NORTH BAY, ONT. — The leaders of Ontario’s New Democratic, Liberal and Green parties went on the offensive against Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford’s record on housing in the first debate of the provincial election campaign.

The topic has been little discussed in the first half of the snap campaign, but the three party leaders saw an opportunity during the debate held specifically to discuss northern issues to press Ford on not meeting his own targets to build housing 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 provincial election campaign — 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 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 it before he opened it up for development. Ford’s government is under RCMP criminal investigation for its now-reversed decision to open up the protected 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.