Home · Politics · Provincial/Territorial Politics · Ontario Elections: 25 Tumultuous Years
Topic spans: 1985 - 2002
Ontario Elections: 25 Tumultuous Years
The Ontario Legislature used to be called "the dullest chamber in all of Canada." For 42 years, the Progressive Conservatives and their "Big Blue Machine" ruled the province. But 1985 ushered the PCs out and an age of turbulence in with a Liberal-NDP coalition. In the next three elections, voters handed majorities to all three parties: a sweep for the Liberals, a stunning NDP victory and a sharp right turn with Mike Harris's Common Sense Revolution. In 2002, it looked like a new blue era was settling in, with Harris passing the Tory torch to Ernie Eves. But Dalton McGuinty's Liberals swept the 2003 and 2007 elections and won a third time with a minority in 2011.
11 television clips
10 radio clips
Challengers to the PCs
Broadcast Date: April 28, 1985
It's four days before the 1985 election and polls show the Conservatives' lead is slipping. They have support from 43 per cent of voters, followed by the Liberals at 33 per cent and the NDP at 23 per cent. Among the parties there's not much disagreement on the issues, but the leaders stand out. CBC radio's Sunday Morning profiles the Liberals' David Peterson and the NDP's Bob Rae as they aim to upset 42 years of Tory rule.Challengers to the PCs
• David Peterson was born in Toronto and raised in London, Ont. He earned a degree in law from the University of Toronto in 1967.• Peterson was elected to a seat in the provincial legislature in 1975 and became Liberal leader in 1982.
• One of the planks in Peterson's platform was to permit the sale of beer and wine at Ontario corner stores. The legislation was never passed.
• When he was sworn in as premier at age 41, Peterson became the youngest person ever to hold the office.
• Born and raised in Ottawa, Bob Rae attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar before getting a law degree from the University of Toronto in 1977.
• From 1975 to 1977, Rae worked as assistant to the general counsel of the Canadian branch of the United Steelworkers of America.
• Rae sat as an NDP MP representing a Metro Toronto riding in the House of Commons from 1978 to 1982. He resigned to become leader of the Ontario NDP after Michael Cassidy stepped down.
• In the months before the election, Peterson lost several key caucus members and, according to the Globe and Mail, the Liberals were in disarray. Many doubted the party could top the NDP for status as the Opposition.
• Before the election call, the NDP assumed William Davis would destroy the Liberals and give the NDP a chance to gain the opposition. When Davis resigned and Frank Miller stepped in, they continued to concentrate their resources in winnable ridings, but abandoned hopes of capturing second place.
• During the 37-day election campaign, Tory leader Frank Miller was criticized for refusing to engage in a televised debate with Peterson and Rae. A spill of toxic PCBs on a highway in northern Ontario and the government's perceived lack of concern over environmental issues also turned voters against Miller.
• Another controversy in the 1985 election was that Miller's predecessor, William Davis, extended provincial funding to Roman Catholic schools just before he left office. None of the parties raised it as an election issue, but many voters were vocal opponents of Davis's decision and held it against the Tories. They were concerned that if the province paid for Catholic school beyond Grade 10, money would be siphoned from public education.
Challengers to the PCs
Medium: Radio
Program: Sunday Morning
Broadcast Date: April 28, 1985
Guest(s): Carolyn Brandt, Ferguson Jenkins, Hugh Mackenzie, David Peterson, Shelley Peterson, Bob Rae, Larry Zolf
Reporter: Christopher Grosskurth, Heather Pullen
Duration: 17:02
Last updated:
July 23, 2009
Activez le Javascript sur votre navigateur...
21 clips in this topic . page
Topic
Quebec elections are never dull because they are full of colourful characters, intrigue and more than a few surprises. Whether it's the Liberals ushering in the Quiet Revolution with their 1960 win, or the...
Topic
Saskatchewan is an enigma. The same province that elected North America's first socialist government also launched the career of Tory Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. In the past 40 years the winds of political change have swept through Saskatchewan as voters have elected leaders from four different parties into office.
Challengers to the PCs.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: July 23, 2009.
[Page consulted on Feb. 14, 2012.]