Doug Ford's Approval Rating Slumps to 24% Amid Spending Scandal

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's popularity is plummeting, with his approval rating now standing at just 24%, according to new public opinion research. The governing Progressive Conservatives also trail the leaderless Liberals by five points, sitting at 33% support compared to the Liberals' 38%. The NDP is at 21%, and the Greens at 3%.

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The Liberals continue to lead in Ontario, but this is not a runaway race.

This sharp decline in Ford's personal popularity, down from over 30% at the start of the year, comes amid a widening spending scandal. The controversy centers on Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) billing taxpayers for hotel stays in downtown Toronto, even when they live relatively close to the legislature. Former tourism minister Stan Cho resigned last week after billing approximately $16,000 for such stays, including expenses for his riding association.

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The movement is small, but it is still movement away from Ford and toward the opposition parties.

Internal emails revealed that Ford's house leader and government whip had advised MPPs that they were cleared to charge the public for downtown hotels. This practice is particularly damaging given the current economic climate. Principal David Valentin of Liaison Strategies noted that these expense stories land politically when an incumbent premier already has low approval ratings, reinforcing a negative perception.

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Those numbers are landing in the middle of an expense scandal, and that matters politically.

Valentin highlighted that the perception is worsened by the contrast between the expenses incurred by MPPs and the cost-of-living pressures faced by Ontarians. "The damaging part is not just the dollar amount, it is the contrast," he stated. "Ontarians are being squeezed by household costs, and now they are seeing a government explain why members who live near Queen’s Park were billing hotel stays. That is a rough fairness test for any government, but especially one with Ford’s approval numbers."

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When an incumbent premier is already at 24 per cent approval, stories about MPPs billing taxpayers for Toronto hotel rooms are exactly the kind of thing that reinforces a bad frame.