Two Tory-blue buses bearing images of Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory's face rolled into Queen's Park Monday, marking his party's campaign launch a week before the official start of the Ontario election campaign.
"There's no substitute for taking as much time as you can to get out and meet people and listen to them," Tory said, his wife by his side.
"I'm just going to be hard at it because I want to make sure people have had a chance to see me, listen to me and talk to me."
But Liberal Finance Minister Greg Sorbara suggested the Opposition is out early because they know they've got their work cut out for them.
Sorbara said voters appear unimpressed with the Conservative platform, which was also released well in advance of those of the other parties.
"What our candidates are hearing at the door is that John Tory's campaign is in very serious trouble," Sorbara said, noting his opponent's plan to publicly fund religious schools isn't sitting well with voters.
Instead of more time, Sorbara said what the Conservatives really need are different policies.
"(Tory's) determination to cut about $3 billion out of health care, his determination to find $1.5 billion in efficiencies and particularly his proposals on religious-based schools are not going over well in the province," Sorbara said.
But New Democrat Peter Kormos attributed Tory's eagerness to a desire to simply catch up to the governing Liberals who've basically been campaigning for the past year.
The Liberals have been "making multiple promises every day, all on the taxpayers' tab and none of it accountable for under the Election Ontario regime," he argued. "Clearly Mr. Tory is trying to catch up to Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals."
Ontario residents are scheduled to go to the polls on Oct. 10.
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Ontario Votes 2007 »
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- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
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District Profiles
More Ontario Votes Headlines »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
