Conservative criticizes Doug Ford following election defeat
A Toronto lawmaker has charged the Ontario premier with acting as a “hype man” for the Liberal party.
TroibNews 
OTTAWA — A Toronto-area lawmaker has accused Ontario Premier Doug Ford of undermining Canada's Conservative campaign, claiming he acted as a promoter for Mark Carney's Liberals.
“He couldn’t stay out of our business, always getting his criticisms and all his opinions out, distracting our campaign, trying to make it about him, trying to position himself as some kind of political genius that we need to be taking cues from,” Conservative MP Jamil Jivani told CBC News as the votes were being counted in Canada’s snap election.
Ford, a powerful figure in Canadian conservatism, secured a third consecutive landslide victory in February by centering his campaign on U.S. President Donald Trump and tariffs. He mentioned to PMG that he had advised Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to adopt a similar approach. However, Poilievre chose to concentrate on affordability issues during his campaign, which aimed to broaden his party’s appeal. Ultimately, he lost his own seat in a conservative area of Ottawa.
As final election results are still being confirmed, the Liberals are currently close to achieving a majority government in the House.
Canada’s Conservatives are now reevaluating their missteps and deliberating on their future direction — with or without Poilievre in leadership.
“I see Doug Ford as a problem for Ontario and for Canada. I think he's not doing a great job in running this province, and now he's trying to exercise his influence over other levels of government. And it's not like this guy is doing anything particularly well,” Jivani remarked, noting his close friendship with JD Vance, now vice president of the United States.
In his concession speech, Poilievre pledged to continue fighting alongside his Conservative caucus, although these comments were made before he officially lost his seat in the House.
When asked about Jivani’s remarks, he did not dismiss the idea of a possible leadership bid. “I don’t know what tomorrow holds,” he responded. Meanwhile, several staffers from Poilievre’s office are reportedly strategizing their exits.
Ford addressed Jivani’s statements on Tuesday morning, emphasizing the need for unity. “We have to bring this country together like we never have before,” he stated.
The rivalry between Ford and Jivani has been longstanding. Jivani previously served as an adviser to Ford in the Ministry of Education but resigned in 2022 over Ford’s handling of Covid-19 policies, which he claimed adversely affected marginalized youth and their families. Upon his election to Parliament in a 2024 special election, he publicly criticized Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party. On election night, he labeled the premier an “opportunist.”
Internal conflict among Conservatives diverted attention during the 37-day campaign. Weeks prior, Ford had criticized Poilievre for being behind in the polls and later expressed disappointment that the Conservative leader failed to reorient his campaign around tariffs.
The tension between Poilievre and Ford created a backdrop that overshadowed the election, especially in Ontario, a vital region for votes. Voters wondered how Poilievre could effectively manage Canada's response to Trump’s tariffs if he struggled with Ontario's leader, a significant trading partner with the U.S.
“I think seven years ago, I met him once in Ottawa. A breakfast right after one of my events. But we never really talked there,” Ford said when reflecting on his relationship with Poilievre.
He also claimed Poilievre was compelled to seek his advice in the lead-up to last month’s election. Ford had just concluded a successful campaign, promoting a message centered on defending Canadian jobs against Trump’s economic threats.
Throughout the five-week election period, Ford's campaign manager, Kory Teneycke, accused Poilievre of “campaign malpractice” for squandering a 25-point advantage prior to the election.
“This campaign is going to be studied for decades as the biggest disaster in terms of having lost a massive lead in ways that were so obvious, with so much information,” Teneycke commented during an appearance on the “Curse of Politics” podcast.
Although Ford did not publicly endorse any candidate for prime minister, he had breakfast with Mark Carney shortly after he assumed leadership of the Liberal Party. He also praised Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, who played a role in negotiating the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement during Trump's first term. Freeland shared a selfie with Ford during his swearing-in ceremony shortly after his third majority win.
“He’s glad-handing with Chrystia Freeland, having coffees and lattes with Mark Carney, and I’m sitting here saying we need to be fighting for change in something new and something different — not being a hype man to the Liberal Party,” Jivani concluded.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
“He couldn’t stay out of our business, always getting his criticisms and all his opinions out, distracting our campaign, trying to make it about him, trying to position himself as some kind of political genius that we need to be taking cues from,” Conservative MP Jamil Jivani told CBC News as the votes were being counted in Canada’s snap election.
Ford, a powerful figure in Canadian conservatism, secured a third consecutive landslide victory in February by centering his campaign on U.S. President Donald Trump and tariffs. He mentioned to PMG that he had advised Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to adopt a similar approach. However, Poilievre chose to concentrate on affordability issues during his campaign, which aimed to broaden his party’s appeal. Ultimately, he lost his own seat in a conservative area of Ottawa.
As final election results are still being confirmed, the Liberals are currently close to achieving a majority government in the House.
Canada’s Conservatives are now reevaluating their missteps and deliberating on their future direction — with or without Poilievre in leadership.
“I see Doug Ford as a problem for Ontario and for Canada. I think he's not doing a great job in running this province, and now he's trying to exercise his influence over other levels of government. And it's not like this guy is doing anything particularly well,” Jivani remarked, noting his close friendship with JD Vance, now vice president of the United States.
In his concession speech, Poilievre pledged to continue fighting alongside his Conservative caucus, although these comments were made before he officially lost his seat in the House.
When asked about Jivani’s remarks, he did not dismiss the idea of a possible leadership bid. “I don’t know what tomorrow holds,” he responded. Meanwhile, several staffers from Poilievre’s office are reportedly strategizing their exits.
Ford addressed Jivani’s statements on Tuesday morning, emphasizing the need for unity. “We have to bring this country together like we never have before,” he stated.
The rivalry between Ford and Jivani has been longstanding. Jivani previously served as an adviser to Ford in the Ministry of Education but resigned in 2022 over Ford’s handling of Covid-19 policies, which he claimed adversely affected marginalized youth and their families. Upon his election to Parliament in a 2024 special election, he publicly criticized Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party. On election night, he labeled the premier an “opportunist.”
Internal conflict among Conservatives diverted attention during the 37-day campaign. Weeks prior, Ford had criticized Poilievre for being behind in the polls and later expressed disappointment that the Conservative leader failed to reorient his campaign around tariffs.
The tension between Poilievre and Ford created a backdrop that overshadowed the election, especially in Ontario, a vital region for votes. Voters wondered how Poilievre could effectively manage Canada's response to Trump’s tariffs if he struggled with Ontario's leader, a significant trading partner with the U.S.
“I think seven years ago, I met him once in Ottawa. A breakfast right after one of my events. But we never really talked there,” Ford said when reflecting on his relationship with Poilievre.
He also claimed Poilievre was compelled to seek his advice in the lead-up to last month’s election. Ford had just concluded a successful campaign, promoting a message centered on defending Canadian jobs against Trump’s economic threats.
Throughout the five-week election period, Ford's campaign manager, Kory Teneycke, accused Poilievre of “campaign malpractice” for squandering a 25-point advantage prior to the election.
“This campaign is going to be studied for decades as the biggest disaster in terms of having lost a massive lead in ways that were so obvious, with so much information,” Teneycke commented during an appearance on the “Curse of Politics” podcast.
Although Ford did not publicly endorse any candidate for prime minister, he had breakfast with Mark Carney shortly after he assumed leadership of the Liberal Party. He also praised Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, who played a role in negotiating the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement during Trump's first term. Freeland shared a selfie with Ford during his swearing-in ceremony shortly after his third majority win.
“He’s glad-handing with Chrystia Freeland, having coffees and lattes with Mark Carney, and I’m sitting here saying we need to be fighting for change in something new and something different — not being a hype man to the Liberal Party,” Jivani concluded.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
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