Conciliatory Doug Ford signals wage hikes loom for nurses, other public servants

Premier Doug Ford is signalling he will lift wage caps for nurses and some other public servants in the wake of the Progressive Conservatives' landslide re-election.

A conciliatory Ford, whose appeal to unionized private-sector workers was key to his election triumph, said he was open to raising the pay for workers like nurses and teachers whose increases were capped at one per cent in the controversial Bill 124, which his government introduced in 2019.

I'm a strong believer when you get inflation, we've got to treat people fairly," he told reporters Friday in Etobicoke, noting the cost of living is rising with the inflation rate at 6.8 per cent.

We're going to sit down and negotiate fairly with ... no matter what union it is," the premier said, stressing the government must be fair with the people who are out there, working hard doing a great job, and we rely upon them."

Speaking the morning after his government was re-elected to a second four-year majority term, Ford said he was very grateful for everyone, especially the nurses," for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ford, who has sparred with education unions in the past, also praised teachers, whose contracts will soon be renegotiated.

I've got to work with the head of the unions and get the best deal for the taxpayers number one, but the best deal for the front-line teachers," the premier said.

We have some of the greatest teachers anywhere in the world that teach right here in Ontario. I'm very, very grateful, especially in the last two years, it was a challenging time, but you stepped up to the plate and you work very, very hard."

The premier also said his campaign promise of a five per cent increase in Ontario Disability Support Program benefits would be part of a tweaked" budget in the coming weeks.

But Ford, who said he was going to take his time in selecting a new cabinet and crafting a throne speech before an expected summer legislative session, had a warning to his expanded caucus.

Don't lobby me for cabinet ... or (have) your supporters lobby me. It just doesn't work that way with me," he said.

Despite rising inflation and a pandemic that left more than 13,300 Ontarians dead since March 2020, the 29-day campaign was relatively uneventful.

Voter turnout was a record low 43 per cent - down from 57 per cent in 2018, which was the highest in years.

On Thursday, the Tories won 83 seats, up from 76 in the last election, yet their popular vote tally was only slightly higher at 40.9 per cent compared with 40.5 per cent four years ago.

While the NDP had 23.7 per cent of the popular vote and the Liberals had 23.8 per cent, the New Democrats' more efficient voter concentration led to 31 seats for them to just eight for the Grits.

In 2018, the NDP won 40 seats with 33.6 per cent and the Liberals won seven with 19.6 per cent.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner, whose party won six per cent of the popular vote compared to 4.6 per cent last time, won his Guelph seat and Bobbi Ann Brady, spurned in her bid to be the Tory candidate, won Haldimand-Norfolk as an Independent.

Both the official Opposition New Democrats and the third-party Liberals are now looking for new leaders.

Andrea Horwath, who had led the NDP since 2009 through four elections and elevated them to official Opposition status, said it was time to pass the torch" to a new leader.

She is staying on as the MPP for Hamilton Centre, but there is much buzz locally of her running for mayor of Hamilton in October.

Steven Del Duca, the rookie Liberal leader whose bid for a comeback in his old Vaughan-Woodbridge fell short, also resigned.

The race for the New Democratic leadership is expected to be lively given the winner will become official Opposition leader.

It's going to be a fight," said one party insider, speaking confidentially.

MPPs Marit Stiles (Davenport), Catherine Fife (Waterloo), Doly Begum (Scarborough Southwest) and Joel Harden (Ottawa Centre) have been mentioned as potential candidates.

But MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) and newly elected former Toronto city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) may also be interested.

I'm hearing from a lot of people. I'm open to the idea and I'm reaching out," Stiles said Friday.

Fife, who is waiting for the party to set terms and timelines, told the Star it's a big decision so I'm talking with my family and team over the next few days."

The New Democrats will choose an interim leader in the next week or two.

Until the dust settles, potential candidates for the Liberal leadership may be harder to find.

MPP Mitzie Hunter (Scarborough-Guildwood), a former education minister, was the only former Grit leadership hopeful to win her seat and was noncommittal about making a second run.

It is a commitment and I have to take the time to process that."

But former MP Ted Hsu, elected as an MPP in Kingston and the Islands, as well as MPPs Stephen Blais (Orleans), John Fraser (Ottawa South) and Lucille Collard (Ottawa Vanier) could be possibilities.

Hsu said the party needs to decide what kind of leader it needs.

Questions like that are good to think about - especially at a time like this, when you've been knocked down again."

Veteran NDP strategist Tom Parkin said the Liberals, who governed under premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne from 2003 to 2018, have a thankless rebuilding task ahead.

There really isn't an institutional base there. They don't have the labour movement support they once had," said Parkin.

In terms of business interests, why not stick with the PCs? They're in this kind of wilderness."

With files from Josh Rubin

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1

Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy