By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
It is always incredible what can transpire within a month’s time. One-twelfth of a year has just passed in the blink of an eye with some significant changes and on one front, no change at all.
Let us start with the latter – on January 28th Premier Doug Ford decided to thrust Ontarians into a winter snap election on February 27th using the excuse he required a clear mandate from the people of Ontario to deal with tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
I did not believe that was the reason a month ago, and I maintain my position today that the Premier had a clear mandate with a super majority government not set to expire until June 2026. Ford called the election, I maintain, for two reasons. The first, to beat the federal government to the polls because a change at one level usually results in a change at the other. Secondly, I am certain the Premier was desperate to secure his party another four years in office before the results of the RCMP criminal investigation into the Greenbelt scandal become public.
Now that we have that out of the way, let us look at what changed at the polls – in short, the answer is nothing! The NDP lost one seat but will remain the official opposition once the Legislature resumes; the Liberals gained five seats, returning them to official party status; the Greens retained two seats and of course, we all know what happened in Haldimand-Norfolk. As for the PCs, they won 80 seats, adding one more than they had before the snap election was called. This bolsters my idea that this snap election was never about obtaining a clear mandate.
Another thing this election will not change is my ability and my will to represent the people of Haldimand-Norfolk in the most honest and genuine way. Thank you to the over 33,000 people across the riding who marched to the polls to protect the independent voice and to also defend democracy. In 2022, our independent campaign won by just over 2,000 votes – in 2025 our independent voice won by over 20,000 votes and represents the highest vote percentage in Ontario. Your courage continues to amaze and inspire me.
I look forward to continuing to represent you all for the next four years. I hope together we can bring back grassroots politics, something that has fallen by the wayside over the past few years as major parties control local functions from downtown Toronto.
One of my first orders of business when I return to Queen’s Park (we are awaiting word on when that might be) is to put rural Ontario and agriculture back on the map. Now, more than ever, we need a strong voice in agriculture as a trade war ensues.
We know the agriculture industry has weathered many storms, economic threats, and uncertainty. Farmers get up every morning and farm and many farmers I have spoken to over the past few days are taking the wait and see approach with the hopes cooler heads will prevail. But what if they do not?
It is that time of the year when farmers are ordering seed and fertilizer and planning for the planting season and must decide on how many workers they may require. And if these items are not a problem in the coming weeks, as they are produced in Canada, the markets for the end products like wheat and soybeans could be problematic down the road.
A global marketplace means that the trade war is not only about the relationship between Canada and the U.S. anymore but with countries like Brazil, Russia, and China.
Regardless of what happens on the tariffs front, providing stability for our farmers for the good times and bad is paramount. We can delve into what that stability encompasses in a future column. In the meantime, you can send your thoughts to me at [email protected].
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk