Ontario election interview: NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath spoke with CBC's provincial affairs reporter Mike Crawley. CBC News has requested interviews with the leaders of all four major parties fielding a full slate of candidates in the Ontario election.  

Crawley: What would make you a good premier? 

Horwath: Because I've been fighting for families and people all my life. Being the premier would give me a chance to actually win some of those battles for them. That's why I'm doing this, because things have gotten really tough for folks. Life has gotten harder and harder. People can't afford the things that they used to be able to afford. 

We have a housing crisis. We have a health-care system on its knees, a seniors'-care system on its knees. For me, this election is about showing people that you can have a government that actually focuses on the things that matter most to you and that they can actually start fixing those things. 

Crawley: Can you contrast yourself, though, with one of your opponents, Doug Ford? What would make you a better premier than Doug Ford? 

Horwath: Well, I think people have watched for the last four years as Doug Ford has prioritized big-box stores over mom-and-pop small businesses. He's been in it for his buddies, whether that's developers, whether that's Conservative insiders. He seems to be really focused on folks like that while life has become harder for people over the last four years. He made a lot of promises that he didn't keep, and he likes to keep making those promises with election gimmicks and announcements, but we need fundamental change.

We need fundamental efforts made towards fixing the things that make life easier for families. So whether that's making sure their drugs are covered through a prescription drug plan or making sure that they don't have to shell out for dental care that their kids might need or even be able to access mental health care, for example.

These things are all going to help people to save some money. It's going to prevent them from having to pay out of their pocket. Those are lasting changes that will make a difference in terms of people's bottom lines, not just gimmicks and not just being in it for the folks at the top. 

Crawley: I understand here you're talking to a large extent about policies that would contrast you from Doug Ford. I also want you to talk about character. What is it that you bring that's different in the way of character from Doug Ford? 

Horwath: Well, I think our character comes from our life experiences. For me, my life experience is as a working class person, I grew up in Steel Town, in Hamilton, the daughter of an auto worker. That showed me that when things don't go the way that they should be going or the way you think they should be going, then you've got to roll up your sleeves and try to make a change happen.

I've had situations myself as a single parent, even before I had my son when I was in the early parts of my career, where it was hard to to make ends meet, where I was worried about paying the bills, where I actually literally had to go to a grocery store and use my Visa because my paycheque didn't make it to the end of the month. And I know families face those kinds of challenges. I don't think Mr. Ford has faced those kinds of challenges. He comes from a privileged place. Right now, I think this is a time when people need a premier that gets them and has faced some of the struggles that they face as well. 

Crawley: Steven Del Duca seems to be trying to contrast himself with you around being ready to be in government because of his experience. How would you contrast yourself with Steven Del Duca? 

Horwath: Well, one of the things we know for sure is that for 15 years the Liberals had a chance to fix the things that are broken, but they contributed to the mess that we have now. They had 15 years to take our seniors' care seriously, and they didn't, which is why long-term care was so vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic as it ripped through there and took so many precious lives. 

We know that they squeezed hospital budgets and put our hospital system into crisis with hallway medicine. They sold off Hydro One and increased our hydro rates. This is not the kind of government that people deserve. They deserve a government that actually fixes a broken health care system and seniors' care system. How can you trust the very guy that broke these things, or the party that was responsible for breaking these things, to fix the same things that they broke?