Dalton McGuinty - Third Term and Resignation (2011–present)

Third Term and Resignation (2011–present)

Now that Ontario has returned to a minority government after decades of majorities, the political landscape has changed significantly. The governing Liberals will be required to work with the other parties to move forward with legislation and avoid losing a non-confidence motion. McGuinty promised not to form a coalition with any other party if elected in a minority, so it appears that he would govern by attracting support from opposition MPPs on a bill-by-bill basis.

The government was soon mired in controversy on several fronts. As a result of Ontario's budgetary situation the government decided to take a hard line on public sector wages. It introduced Bill 115 in order to suspend collective bargaining and impose contracts on teachers as well as suspend their right to strike for two years. It also introduced legislation to impose a wage freeze on 481,000 additional public sector workers in hospitals, colleges, public agencies and the civil service.

The Liberals had hoped to regain its majority through by-elections and on September 6, 2012 two by-elections were held, one in Vaughan in which the Liberal Party was ushered back in, and another in Kitchener—Waterloo. Elizabeth Witmer, a Progressive Conservative, had represented Kitchener—Waterloo for the previous four terms. Her resignation gave the Liberals a chance for majority, however the riding elected Catherine Fife of the New Democratic Party (NDP), leaving McGuinty's Liberals with a minority government. The NDP victory in Kitchener-Waterloo, the seat the Liberals needed to gain, was attributed in part to the backlash against Bill 115; the Liberals placed third in the riding.

McGuinty's minority government also faced criticism over a decision made during the 2011 election campaign to scrap unpopular gas plants being constructed in Mississauga and Oakville - the move was seen as a politically expedient one made to improve the Liberal Party's chances of retaining the 5 ridings it held in the area. The opposition, emboldened by the minority government situation, demanded that Energy minister Christopher Bentley release all documents related to the decision. Bentley delayed prior to releasing 36,000 pages in September and insisted that all documents had been released. After it became known that there were an additional 20,000 documents Bentley was cited by a rare contempt motion by a legislative committee and was facing a contempt motion of the legislature when McGuinty unexpectedly announced on October 15, 2012 that he was ending the legislative session by proroguing the legislature and also that he would resign as premier as soon as the Liberal Party chooses his successor in January, 2013

While there had been speculation that McGuinty would become a candidate for the federal Liberal leadership election, on October 23, 2012 he announced that he would not be doing so.