News Summary

During the first election debate in North Bay, Ontario, the leaders of the New Democratic, Liberal, and Green parties challenged Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford on his housing policies. The opposition criticized Ford for not meeting his target of building 1.5 million homes, with housing starts down 16% in 2024 compared to the previous year. NDP Leader Marit Stiles questioned the location of promised homes, while Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner attributed high housing prices to Ford’s priorities favoring wealthy land speculators. Ford defended his record by mentioning regulatory cuts and the removal of HST from rental housing but was accused of inconsistency in public and private statements. The debate also touched on the Greenbelt scandal, where Ford’s government faced an RCMP investigation for a reversed decision to develop protected lands, potentially benefiting a few developers significantly.