Wynne knows she won't win
Haydn Watters | CBC News | Posted: June 2, 2018 5:31 PM | Last Updated: June 3, 2018
Where the leaders are and why all eyes should be on Hamilton
The polls have been saying it for a while, but Kathleen Wynne admitted it Saturday morning: the Liberals won't form government.
Her admission highlights the fierce battle going on between the PCs and the NDP, who — according to Poll Tracker — are effectively tied. On the campaign trail's final weekend, all the leaders are out giving it one last push.
Here's where we are on day 25.
Latest from the campaign
- Will Toronto help give Doug Ford a majority government?
- Poll Tracker predicts the odds of a minority government are low. But if it is going to happen, it's likely going to be because of Toronto. Polls analyst Eric Grenier breaks down the ridings where it matters, including Wynne's own Don Valley West.
- Ford won't say if he will march in Toronto Pride parade
- It's been a sticking point for the PC leader in the past — he once described it as an event where "middle-aged men with pot bellies" ran down the street "buck naked." But former leader Patrick Brown set precedent when he was the first Tory leader to march in the parade. Ford said he hasn't made up his mind, choosing to focus on "the economy" until election day.
- Wynne keeps running, even if she'll lose this race
- A profile of the Liberal leader shows she is keeping her chin up even though things look grim for the party. As provincial affairs reporter Mike Crawley writes, the plan had been to create fear of Ford among voters. But that strategy has ended up working for the NDP.
The moment
It's something politicians don't usually do: Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne admitted Saturday morning she's not going to win come June 7, a concession speech of sorts before the results are even in.
"We know that I'm not to be premier," she said, her voice breaking several times. "I'm trying to lay out the situation as honestly as I can."
She admitted people want change, but encouraged people to continue to vote for local Liberal candidates so either the PCs or the NDP won't win a majority.
"I'm saying this today because people still have time to think."
Wynne said she knows some Liberals will be mad she's admitting defeat, but she plans to continue campaigning until "that last vote is cast." She wouldn't comment on whether she would stay on as Liberal leader.
Riding to watch
Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, population 113,025, profile by Lucas Powers
This suburban riding was created in 2015 to match the boundaries of its federal counterpart. It offers a particularly interesting look into some of the dynamics at play across the province in this election.
The Liberal incumbent, Ted McMeekin, has represented the area since 2000 and has won several elections since then by a substantial margin. His resume as a public servant is considerable, but the winds of political change have blown a storm to McMeekin's doorstep.
Polls suggest that the longtime MPP could end up a third-place finisher. He faces challenges from Sandy Shaw, the NDP candidate, and Ben Levitt, who is running beneath the PC banner.
The 26-year-old Levitt had to win the PC nomination twice, after the results of the first contest were nullified over allegations that PC party officials had tampered with the vote result. His campaign publicly welcomed the second vote to ensure the legitimacy of his candidacy.
If the NDP's Shaw were to manage a win, it could help Andrea Horwath secure all four seats that include parts of Hamilton.
Poll Tracker
The PCs and the NDP are neck and neck in the popular vote, bouncing back and forth as leader. But the PCs have a better regional distribution of that vote and so are favoured to win more seats. Get the full breakdown.
Where the leaders are
- Ford: Breakfast in Nepean (9 a.m.), announcement & roundtable in Nepean (11 a.m.), Rally in Nepean (6 p.m.)
- Horwath: Announcement in Mississauga (9:45 a.m.), campaign event in Peterborough (2 p.m.), event in Peterborough (2:30 p.m.), campaign event in Bowmanville (4 p.m.)
- Schreiner: Campaigning in Guelph (all day)
- Wynne: Media availability in Toronto (11 a.m.), Visit to Dundas West Fest (2 p.m.)
We're tracking the Ontario leaders on the campaign trail. See where they have stopped.
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- An earlier version of the "Riding to watch" incorrectly stated that allegations of tampering were made against Ben Levitt's campaign, when in fact the allegations were levied at PC party officials who were not connected to Levitt's team. June 3, 2018 2:49 PM