Metro Morning political roundtable debates an early Ontario election

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has fuelled speculation over the last few weeks about an early election in the province.

During news conferences and interviews, Ford has repeatedly declined to rule out calling an election before his government's four-year mandate expires in June 2026. 

An announcement in late May that the province is accelerating its expansion of alcohol sales by about 18 months — a move that'll cost taxpayers at least $225 million and possibly much more — did little to quell musings about an early vote.

Does Ford want to reaffirm his mandate before new Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has a chance to establish her vision for Ontario? Maybe he wants to get ahead of a possible change of government in Ottawa next fall? Perhaps talk of an election is meant to distract from an ongoing police investigation into the Greenbelt controversy?

The answer depends on who you ask.

So CBC Radio's Metro Morning hosted a roundtable of provincial political strategists Monday to debate the potential pros and cons of an early election call from the perspectives of the Progressive Conservative, NDP and Liberal camps.

The discussion included:

• Jeff Rutledge, Tory strategist and vice president at the public affairs firm McMillan Vantage.
• Kim Wright, NDP strategist and principal at Wright Strategies.
• Ashley Csanady, Liberal strategist and vice president at McMillan Vantage.

You can watch the lively debate in the video player above.

If you want to delve deeper into the political calculus behind Ford's thinking on an early election, CBC Toronto spoke to experts and party insiders in this May 30 feature story.