When Doug Ford was the first to announce his candidacy for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, I didn’t think he had a chance.
Whether fairly or not, I thought Ford Nation carried too much past baggage to fight a successful election campaign against Premier Wynne.
WATCH ABOVE: Doug Ford claims leadership of Ontario’s PC Party in close vote
However, when I heard him interviewed on Global News Radio 640 Toronto shortly after announcing his candidacy, his message was crystal clear on every issue: “What’s in it for the taxpayer?”
After 15 years of Liberal fiscal mismanagement and a lack of due diligence on everything from electricity to healthcare, it’s no wonder Ford’s message is resonating with Ontarians.
When he appeared on my show a few weeks later, his message was no different: Protecting the taxpayer.
A recent Global/Ipsos poll revealed healthcare, jobs and the economy, lower taxes and lower electricity rates are of most concern to Ontarians heading into the June provincial election.
Wynne’s activist social causes, which ignore taxpayers and fiscal responsibility, hold little interest for Ontario voters.
Despite the circus this past weekend that was the Ontario PC party leadership convention, polls show it doesn’t matter who the leader is, Ontarians want big change.
With the horror of the last three elections still haunting the conservatives, the big question will be: Does Doug Ford give the PCs a better kick at the can than Patrick Brown?
Scott Thompson hosts The Scott Thompson Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.