In the News May 11

Ontario Election

For Your Information

Composition of Ontario Legislature at Dissolution

The composition of the 42nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario on May 3, 2022 at dissolution of the Legislature was:

PC – 67
NDP – 38
Liberal – 7
Green – 1
New Blue – 1
Ontario – 1
Independent – 6
Vacancies – 3

When the 42nd Legislature opened it was:

PC – 76
NDP – 40
Liberal – 7
Green – 1
Independent – 0

This means that by the time the Legislature was dissolved in order to hold the current election, the PCs were down nine seats. Four MPPs had been removed from the caucus and three had resigned, all to sit as independents. Two others resigned from the Legislature entirely, giving rise to vacancies that were not filled.

The NDP were down two seats after one MPP resigned and another was removed from the party, both of them also becoming independents.

The Liberals lost three seats to resignations from the Legislature, but gained them back in two byelections and by one independent — a former PC member — switching to the Liberal Party. The net result for the Liberals was the same number of seats at dissolution as at the start of the 42nd Legislature.

Two new parties also appeared during the current Legislature. Each had one seat at dissolution — not as a result of an election being held but by two former PC members ending their stint as independents and joining respectively, the New Blue Party and the Ontario Party.

The first session of the 42nd Legislation was convoked on July 11, 2018 following the last general election held June 7, 2018. The Progressive Conservative Party (PC) had a clear majority, with 76 of the 124 seats. The NDP, with 40 seats, became Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Neither the Liberals nor Greens had enough seats to meet the 12-seat threshold to be a “recognized” party in the Legislature so were not able to access the privileges that come along with that status such as funds to conduct research amongst others.

Ontario Political Forum, posted May 11, 2022.