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1995 Ontario general election

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The Ontario Legislature after the 1995 election.
Map of Ontario's ridings and their popular vote for their party elected

The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada. The writs for the election were dropped on April 28, 1995.

The governing New Democratic Party, led by Premier Bob Rae, was defeated by voters, who were angry at the mistakes made by the inexperienced NDP and frustrated by the recession, rising taxes, and unemployment. The NDP had lost much of their base in organized labour, due to the unpopularity of its Social Contract legislation in 1993.

Lyn McLeod's Liberals had been leading in the polls for most of the period from 1992 to 1995, and were generally favoured to benefit from the swing in support away from the NDP. However, the party hurt its credibility through a series of high-profile policy reversals in the period leading up to the election. The most notable of these occurred when McLeod withdrew Liberal support from a same-sex benefits package for civil unions when it was introduced by the NDP government in 1994. Her decision was seen as cynical and opportunistic in light of the Liberals' earlier rural by-election loss in a socially-conservative riding. This gave the party a reputation for "flip-flopping" and inconsistency while offending its socially progressive supporters.

The televised party leaders' debate is often regarded as the turning point of the campaign. During the event, McLeod further alienated many voters with an overly aggressive performance. Harris used his camera time to speak directly to the camera to convey his party's Common Sense Revolution platform, virtually ignoring all questions asked of him by Rae and McLeod and avoiding getting caught up in their debate. Since Liberal support was regarded by many political insiders as soft and unsteady, many voters who were previously leaning to the Liberals shifted to the Progressive Conservatives after the debate.

The Progressive Conservative Party, led by Mike Harris, found success with its Common Sense Revolution campaign to cut personal income taxes, social assistance (welfare) rates, and government spending dramatically. Roughly half of his party's seats came from the more affluent regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), especially the suburban belt surrounding Metro Toronto, often called the '905' for its telephone area code.

In addition, by presenting himself as a populist, representing "ordinary Ontarians" over "special interests", Harris was able to build Tory support among working-class voters. Although there were regional variations, many working-class voters shifted directly from the NDP to the Tories duing the election, enabling the latter to win formerly NDP ridings such as Cambridge and Oshawa.

Due to the above factors, voters gave the Tories a large majority, while the Liberals finished with less support than they had in the 1990 election. The NDP, despite improving their standing in some Northern Ontario ridings, were heavily defeated and reduced to third party status from which they have not yet recovered. McLeod and Rae resigned their party leadership posts not long after the campaign.

One independent candidate was elected: Peter North in the riding of Elgin. North had been elected in 1990 as a New Democrat, but left the NDP and declared his intention to run as a Progressive Conservative. The PC Party did not accept him as a candidate, however.

Results

Party Party leader # of
candidates 		Seats Popular vote
1990 Elected % Change # % % Change

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row

Progressive Conservative Mike Harris 125 20 82 +310% 1,870,110 44.8% +21.3%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row

Liberal Lyn McLeod 125 36 30 -16.7% 1,291,326 31.1% -1.3%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

New Democratic Bob Rae 125 74 17 -77.0% 854,163 20.6% -17.0%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row

Family Coalition Donald Pennell 55 - - - 61,657 1.5% -0.1%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Natural Law/row

Natural Law Ron Parker 68 - - - 18,326 0.4% +0.4%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Green/row

Green Frank de Jong 37 - - - 14,108 0.4% -0.3%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Libertarian/row

Libertarian John Shadbolt 18 - - - 6,085 0.2% -0.4%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Freedom/row

Freedom Jack Plant 11 - - - 4,532 0.1% -0.1%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/CoR/row

Confederation of Regions   6 - - - 3,971 0.1% -1.8%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Communist/row

Communist Darrell Rankin 5 - - - 1,015 0.02% -0.08%

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Independents/row

Independent 61 - 1 - 33,077 0.8% +0.5%
Total 636 130 130 - 4,158,370 100% -

Notes:

At least five unregistered parties fielded candidates in this election.

Candidates from the aforementioned parties appeared on the ballot as independents. It is possible that some candidates listed below as independents actually belonged to these or other parties.

Riding results

Algoma:

Algoma—Manitoulin:

Beaches—Woodbine:

Brampton North:

Brampton South:

Brantford:

Brant—Haldimand:

Bruce:

Burlington South:

Cambridge:

Carleton:

Carleton East:

Chatham—Kent:

Cochrane North:

Cochrane South:

Cornwall:

Don Mills:

Dovercourt:

Downsview:

Dufferin—Peel:

Durham Centre:

Durham East:

Durham West:

Durham—York:

Eglinton:

Elgin:

Essex—Kent:

Essex South:

Etobicoke—Humber:

Etobicoke—Lakeshore:

Etobicoke—Rexdale:

Etobicoke West:

Fort William:

Fort York:

Frontenac—Addington:

Grey—Owen Sound:

Guelph:

Halton Centre:

Halton North:

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row
1995 provincial election: Hamilton Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Party (x)David Christopherson 8,012 36.81 $40,543.33

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row

Liberal Filomena Tassi 7,322 33.64 $34,483.85

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row

Progressive Conservative Angie Tomasic 5,723 26.30 $18,222.88

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row

Family Coalition Tom Wigglesworth 376 1.73 $1,548.28

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Natural Law/row

Natural Law Monique Poudrette 331 1.52 $0.00
Total valid votes 21,764 100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 372
Turnout 22,136 54.71

Hamilton East:

Hamilton Mountain:

Hamilton West:

Hastings—Peterborough:

High Park—Swansea:

Huron:

Kenora:

Kingston and the Islands:

Kitchener:

Kitchener—Wilmot:

Lake Nipigon:

Lambton:

Lanark—Renfrew:

Lawrence:

Leeds—Grenville:

Lincoln:

London Centre:

London North:

London South:

Markham:

Middlesex:

Mississauga East:

Mississauga North:

Mississauga South:

Mississauga West:

Muskoka—Georgian Bay:

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row
Nepean
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Progressive Conservative John Baird 17,510 49.66 $40,800.37

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row

Liberal (x)Hans Daigeler 13,575 38.50 $45,021.83

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

New Democratic Party John Sullivan 3,274 9.29 15,380.57

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Green/row

Green Frank de Jong 390 1.11 $0.00

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Natural Law/row

Natural Law Party Brian E. Jackson 259 0.73 $0.00

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Freedom/row

Freedom Cathy Frampton 252 0.71 $2,307.70
Total valid votes 35,260 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 363
Turnout 35,623 64.97

Niagara Falls:

Niagara South:

Nickel Belt:

Nipissing:

Norfolk:

Northumberland:

Oakville South:

Oakwood:

Oriole:

Oshawa:

Ottawa Centre:

Ottawa East:

Ottawa—Rideau:

Ottawa South:

Ottawa West:

Oxford:

Parkdale:

Parry Sound:

Perth:

Peterborough:

Port Arthur:

Prescott and Russell:

Prince Edward—Lennox:

Quinte:

Rainy River:

Renfrew North:

Riverdale:

Sarnia:

Sault Ste. Marie:

Scarborough—Agincourt:

Scarborough Centre:

Scarborough East:

Scarborough—Ellesmere:

Scarborough North:

Scarborough West:

Simcoe Centre:

Simcoe East:

Simcoe West:

St. Andrew—St. Patrick:

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row
St. Catharines
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal (x)Jim Bradley 13,761 46.53 $33,835.95

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row

Progressive Conservative Archie Heide 11,486 38.84 $36,875.32

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

New Democratic Party Jeff Burch 3,929 13.29 $12,043.92

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row

Family Coalition Party Jon Siemens 245 0.83 $0.00

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Natural Law/row

Natural Law Party Marcy Sheremetta 153 0.52 $0.00
Total valid votes 29,574 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 227
Turnout 29,801 64.58

St. Catharines—Brock:

St. George—St. David:

Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry & East Grenville:

Sudbury:

Sudbury East:

Timiskaming:

Victoria—Haliburton:

Waterloo North:

Welland—Thorold:

Wellington:

Wentworth East:

Wentworth North:

Willowdale:

Wilson Heights:

Windsor—Riverside:

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row
Windsor—Sandwich
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal Sandra Pupatello 11,940 47.12 $36,803.00

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

New Democratic Party Arlene Rousseau 6,414 25.31 $10,442.27

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row

Progressive Conservative Joe Durocher 5,704 22.51 $27,112.47

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row

Family Coalition Party Earl Amyotte 610 2.41 $3,426.21

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Independents/row

Independent Christine Wilson 410 1.62 $73.28

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Natural Law/row

Natural Law Party Ronald F. Bessette 263 1.04 $0.00
Total valid votes 25,341 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 428
Turnout 25,769 50.11
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row
Windsor—Walkerville
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal Dwight Duncan 10,281 41.28 $45,522.32

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

New Democratic Party (x)Wayne Lessard 9,901 39.76 $45,615.07

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row

Progressive Conservative Michael Rohrer 3,610 14.50 $17,463.00

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row

Family Coalition Party Donna Halliday 957 3.84 $1,806.70

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Natural Law/row

Natural Law Party Vivek Narula 156 0.63 $0.00
Total valid votes 24,905 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 387
Turnout 25,292 52.54

York Centre:

York East:

York Mills:

York—Mackenzie:

York South:

Yorkview:

post-election changes:

Bob Rae (NDP) resigned his seat on February 29, 1996. A by-election was called for May 23, 1996.

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal/row
by-election, February 29, 1996: York South
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Gerard Kennedy 7,774 39.22

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

New Democratic Party David Miller 6,656 33.58

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row

Progressive Conservative Rob Davis 5,093 25.69

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Independents/row

Independent David Milne 151 0.76

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Libertarian/row

Libertarian George Dance 77 0.39

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Independents/row

Independent Kevin Mark Clarke 70 0.35
Total valid votes 19,821 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 264
Turnout 20,085 51.38

Oriole (res. Elinor Caplan, May 5, 1997), September 4, 1997:

Ottawa West (res. Bob Chiarelli, May 5, 1997), September 4, 1997:

Windsor—Riverside (res. David Cooke, May 5, 1997), September 4, 1997:

Nickel Belt (res. Floyd Laughren, February 28, 1998), October 1, 1998:

Alex Cullen left the Liberal Party on November 15, 1998, and joined the NDP on November 23, 1998.

See also

Preceded by
1990 election 		List of Ontario general elections Succeeded by
1999 election
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