1990 Ontario general election


The 1990 Ontario general election was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada.
The governing Ontario Liberal Party led by Premier David Peterson was unexpectedly defeated. Although the Peterson government, and Peterson himself, were very popular, he was accused of opportunism in calling an election just three years into his mandate. In a shocking upset, the New Democratic Party, led by Bob Rae, won a majority government. This marked the first time the NDP had won government east of Manitoba, and to date the only time the NDP formed the government in Ontario.
Not even the NDP expected to come close to winning power; indeed, Rae had already made plans to retire from politics after the election. However, the NDP managed to take many seats in the Greater Toronto Area from the Liberals. They also did better than ever before in many other cities and rural areas. The NDP finished only five points ahead of the Liberals in the popular vote, but due to the nature of the first-past-the-post electoral system, which ignores the popular vote and awards power based on the number of ridings won, the NDP's gains in the GTA decimated the Liberal caucus. The Liberals lost 59 seats, the second-worst defeat for a governing party in Ontario. At the time, it was the Liberals' worst showing in an Ontario election. Peterson himself was heavily defeated in London Centre by NDP challenger Marion Boyd, losing by 8,200 votes—one of the few times a provincial premier has lost their own seat.
Although Mike Harris's Progressive Conservative Party was unable to overcome voter distrust of the federal Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, his party did manage to make a net gain of four seats.
Although Harris was from northern Ontario, the Tories were particularly weak in that region, placing fourth, behind the Liberals, NDP and the right-wing, Confederation of Regions Party in six northern Ontario ridings. The CoR Party also placed ahead of the PC Party in the Renfrew North and Cornwall ridings in eastern Ontario. Although they received only 1.9% of the vote provincewide, they managed 7.8% in the 33 ridings in which they actually fielded a candidate.
The Green Party of Ontario placed third, ahead of the NDP, in Parry Sound riding, where former Liberal leadership candidate Richard Thomas was the party's candidate.

Results

Opinion Polls

On September 1, it was reported that an Angus Reid-Southam poll had put the NDP with 38% support, with the Liberals at 34% and the PCs at 24% and others at 4%, with 18% undecided and a margin of error of 3.3%. This was following an August 28 Star-CFTO poll 34% for the NDP, 40% for the Liberals, and 23% for the PCs with 3% undecided.

Constituency results

Ottawa-Carleton

Total votes: 38,074
Total votes: 35,376
Total votes: 32,328
Total votes: 30,446
Ottawa East

Total votes: 26,218
Total votes: 29,695
Total votes: 30,185
Total votes: 33,422

Eastern Ontario

Total votes: 27 347
Total votes: 29,174
Total votes: 28 282
Ronald Gerow
1128
Total votes: 26 807
Total votes: 34 330
Total votes: 39 833
Total votes: 27 752
Total votes: 29 691
Total votes: 30 198
Total votes: 29 082

Central Ontario

Total votes: 30,429
Total votes: 31,447
Total votes: 38,056
Total votes: 33 031
Total votes: 35 740
Total votes: 41,888
Total votes: 41 572
Total votes: 37 398
Total votes: 32 089
Total votes: 34 889

Durham & York Region

Total votes: 35,096
Total votes: 33 476
Total votes: 43,678
Total votes: 36 284
Total votes: 51 221
Total votes: 27 173
Total votes: 61 562
Total votes: 33,437

Scarborough

Total votes: 30 118
Total votes: 27,262
Total votes: 32 915
Total votes: 29 119
Total votes: 30 056
Total votes: 28 027

North York & East York

Total votes: 28,483
Total votes: 23 755
Total votes: 26 364
Total votes: 25 454
Total votes: 33,947
Total votes: 27,725
Total votes: 29 848
Total votes: 29 207
Total votes: 20 059

Toronto

Total votes: 24 645
Total votes: 19 548
Total votes: 33 451
Total votes: 23 806
Total votes: 25 337
Total votes: 17 417
Total votes: 22 729
Total votes: 29 956
Total votes: 29 706

Etobicoke & York

Total votes: 35 178
Total votes: 31 660
Total votes: 26 270
Total votes: 33 810
Total votes: 21 384
Total votes: 24 949

Brampton, Mississauga & Halton

Total votes: 33,462
Total votes: 39 985
Total votes: 32 520
Total votes: 38 523
Total votes: 27,503
Total votes: 31 684
Total votes: 33 442
Total votes: 32 652
Total votes: 47 584
Total votes: 31,304

Hamilton-Wentworth & Niagara

Total votes: 25 358
Total votes: 28 336
Total votes: 37 629
Total votes: 32 777
Total votes: 34,141
Total votes: 29 939
Total votes: 23 972
Total votes: 29 835
Total votes: 27,478
Total votes: 32 202
Total votes: 34 111
Total votes: 33 692

Midwestern Ontario

Total votes: 36 474
Total votes: 28 785
Total votes: 36 176
Total votes: 39 701
Total votes: 29 070
Total votes: 33 640
Total votes: 36 537
Total votes: 36 195
Total votes: 36 504
Total votes: 31 802
Total votes: 38 883
Total votes: 30 646

Southwestern Ontario

Total votes: 31,138
Total votes: 34 047
Total votes: 30 116
Total votes: 29 358
Total votes: 27,675
Total votes: 34 765
Total votes: 43 770
Total votes: 41 115
Total votes: 38 382
Total votes: 29 586
Total votes: 29 769
Total votes: 29 298
Total votes: 28 807

Northeastern Ontario

Total votes: 14 017
Total votes: 15 339
Total votes: 16 354
Total votes: 24 069
Total votes: 16 955
Total votes: 33 741
Total votes: 23 020
Total votes: 38 713
Total votes: 32,530
Total votes: 30 232
Total votes: 19,779

Northwestern Ontario

Total votes: 26,551
Total votes: 20 106
Total votes: 12,785
Total votes: 27 798
Total votes: 12 751

Post-election changes

Party affiliation switches

became an independent MPP on October 10, 1990, after questions were raised about labour practices in his bricklaying firms. He would later rejoin the NDP caucus.
Dennis Drainville became an independent MPP on April 28, 1993, as a protest against the Rae government's plans to introduce casinos to the province. He later resigned his seat in the legislature, resulting in a by-election.
Will Ferguson became an independent MPP on April 30, 1993, following accusations relating to the Grandview scandal. He later rejoined the NDP caucus on June 21, 1994, having been cleared of all charges.
John Sola became an independent MPP on May 11, 1993, after making comments about Canadian Serbs that most regarded as racist.
Peter North became an independent MPP on October 27, 1993, claiming he had lost confidence in the Rae government. He tried to join the Progressive Conservatives, but was rebuffed.

Byelections

Due to resignations, five by-elections were held between the 1990 and 1995 elections.

Vacancies

In addition, four seats were vacant in the final months of the legislature, as the sitting members resigned and by-elections were not held to replace them before the 1995 election: