Feb 13, 2025
The Leader of the Official Opposition of Ontario and Ontario New Democratic Party leader, Marit Stiles, talked about her party’s top issues, including housing, healthcare and education in advance of the Ontario election on February 27, 2025.
By: Nina Rafeek Dow
Last week, Marit Stiles discussed her election platform for Ontario Premier with TMU Democracy Forum host, Dais Senior Fellow and Toronto Star political columnist, Martin Regg Cohn.
TMU Provost and Vice-President, Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano opened the event at the Dais, attended by hundreds in person and online via YouTube livestream.
Here are the highlights.
Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) and Leader of the Official Opposition, made the case that her party is best positioned to challenge Premier Doug Ford in the next provincial election. With more seats than all other opposition parties combined, and representation in every region of the province, Stiles says the NDP has “boots on the ground across the province of Ontario” to push back on the government’s policies.
From the Greenbelt controversy to the healthcare crisis, she argues that the NDP has consistently been at the forefront of exposing issues under Ford’s leadership. Now, she is laying out a roadmap for how the party will tackle Ontario’s most pressing challenges.
At the core of Stiles’ platform is addressing Ontario’s housing crisis. Stiles said the province needs to build a significant number of homes—and fast. Through the proposed Homes Ontario plan, the NDP would prioritize supportive housing to help end homelessness.
“Homelessness is a pandemic in Ontario,” Stiles said, stressing that building more housing is key to solving the crisis. She also wants to protect those at risk of losing their homes by creating an emergency fund to provide immediate relief.
Stiles’ priorities include hiring more doctors, investing in hospitals, and improving access to care. She also emphasized the need to view mental health and addiction as healthcare issues.
During the event, she held up a tie that once belonged to Tommy Douglas—gifted to her by former Toronto mayor David Miller—as a symbol of the NDP’s commitment to universal healthcare.
“When you take away a resource, and it is a resource, and don’t replace it with anything, you’re just leaving people to die,” Stiles said, in reference to safe consumption sites. She supports decriminalization and increased funding for wraparound support services.
Stiles said Ontario ranks last in the country for post-secondary funding, and the impact is being felt across the province.
“Everywhere I go around the province, colleges and universities are cutting programs,” she said.
The NDP is committed to reinvesting in post-secondary education to bring funding levels in line with other provinces. Stiles is opposed to tuition hikes, arguing that students and families are already struggling. “This is not the time to raise tuition,” Stiles said.
For those taking out OSAP loans, Stiles promises to turn some of that debt into grants.
On transit, Stiles wants to tackle congestion by negotiating the removal of tolls on Highway 407. She criticized the highway’s privatization, pointing to high toll costs as the reason why it is underutilized.
“The tolls on it, to me, are one of the reasons why it’s just not being used,” she said.
Her plan aims to make better use of existing infrastructure while improving public transit options across the province.
Stiles is calling for electoral reform, including a move to proportional representation, to better reflect the will of voters. She believes Ontario’s current system discourages cooperation among parties and limits voter engagement.
On low voter turnout, Stiles said, “I believe it’s because people have given up hope that politicians, that government can do anything to make life better or to change things.”
To fund some of these initiatives, Stiles says she would redirect billions of dollars being spent on the controversial luxury spa project at Ontario Place. Instead of investing in high-end tourism projects, she argues the money should go toward essential services like healthcare and education.
“We need to save money and redirect the funding,” she said.
Stiles is encouraging young Ontarians to take an active role in shaping their communities. Whether through volunteering with local organizations, advocating for causes, or joining political campaigns, she says now is the time to get involved.
“This is the moment,” she said, emphasizing the importance of grassroots activism.
Her own political journey began in 1990, when she volunteered for Evelyn Gigantes’ campaign in Ottawa. She started canvassing with a boy she met in school who is now her husband. Stiles believes that direct engagement is key to bringing about change.
With the next election on the horizon, she has promised to reveal the full NDP platform before voting day.
A vote is a terrible thing to waste! Election day is February 27. Learn everything you need to know about casting your vote by visiting the Elections Ontario website.
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