Cross Country Checkup·Checkup Episode

How could Doug Ford's victory change the political conversation in this country?

Doug Ford's Ontario win has sent shock waves across the country, as Canadians ponder the scale of the populist surge that voted him into power.
Supporters react after learning Doug Ford won a majority government in Ontario Provincial election in Toronto. (Mark Blinch/Canadian Press)

He promised "buck-a-beer," cheaper gasoline, and sweeping tax cuts. He promised to cut government spending by $6 billion, but didn't say how.

Doug Ford's Ontario win sent shock waves across the country, leaving Canadians to ponder whether populism has taken root here too.

Populist movements have been growing worldwide. It's a political strategy that favours the people over the privileged — an approach that fuelled Brexit and the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Canada has seen versions of populism before. Think Tommy Douglas, Preston Manning and the Reform Party, or Mike Harris' "Common-Sense Revolution" in Ontario. But does Doug Ford belong on that list?

Ontario has never had a premier quite like Doug Ford — someone so intent on smashing political norms that he defies traditional labels or easy comparisons. How could Doug Ford's victory change political conversation in this country?

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