1975 Ontario general election

September 18, 1975

125 seats in the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
63 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Bill Davis Toronto 1984 Robert Nixon-c1971
Leader Bill Davis Stephen Lewis Robert Nixon
Party Progressive Conservative New Democratic Liberal
Leader since February 12, 1971 October 4, 1970 January 6, 1967
Leader's seat Brampton Scarborough West Brant—Oxford—Norfolk
Last election 78 19 20
Seats won 51 38 36
Seat change Decrease27 Increase19 Increase16
Popular vote 1,192,592 956,904 1,125,615
Percentage 36.07% 28.94% 34.04%
Swing Decrease8.43pp Increase1.79pp Increase6.29pp


Premier before election

Bill Davis
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Bill Davis
Progressive Conservative

The 1975 Ontario general election was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Bill Davis and campaigning under the slogan, "Your Future. Your choice.", won a tenth consecutive term in office but lost its majority in the legislature for the first time since the 1945 election. The PC party lost 27 seats from its result in the previous election.

The social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party, led by Stephen Lewis with the slogan "Tomorrow starts today", doubled its representation in the legislature, and became the Official Opposition on the strength of a campaign which called for rent control in Ontario and highlighted horror stories of individuals victimized by bad landlords who imposed exorbitant rent increases. The campaign forced Davis' Tories to promise to implement rent controls shortly before the election.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Robert Nixon, won 16 additional seats, but lost the role of Official Opposition to the NDP. One member of its caucus was elected as a Liberal-Labour candidate.

Expansion of Legislative Assembly

An Act passed in May 1975[1] provided for an increase from 117 to 125 MPPs in the next Assembly:

Abolished ridingsNew ridings
Drawn from parts of other ridings
Reorganization of ridings
Division of ridings
Renaming of ridings
Consequential renaming of ridings on the creation of the Regional Municipality of Durham

Campaign


Riding contests, by number of candidates (1976)[2]
Candidates PC Lib LL NDP Comm Ind Ltn SC NAL Total
3 6664266198
4 414141195962164
5 15151511765175
6 22223112
7 1111217
Total 1251232125331715133456

Among the independent candidates, there were 12 from the Social Credit League of Ontario who were not officially recognized as such as the party did not qualify for official party status under the Election Finances Reform Act, 1975.[3][4][5][6]

Results

Summary

[2]

Elections to the 30th Parliament of Ontario (1975)
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates 1971 1975 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Progressive Conservative Bill Davis 125785127Decrease1,192,592272,721Decrease36.07%8.43Decrease
New Democratic Stephen Lewis 125193819Increase956,90463,025Increase28.94%1.79Increase
Liberal Robert Nixon 123203515Increase1,125,615211,873Increase34.04%6.29Increase
Liberal–Labour 211Increase9,0669,066Increase0.27%Returned
Communist William Stewart 339,1207,500Increase0.28%0.23Increase
Libertarian Terry Coughlin 154,4374,437Increase0.13%New
Social Credit 134,1462,942Increase0.13%0.09Increase
Independent 174,09312,866Decrease0.12%0.40Decrease
North American Labour 3424424Increase0.01%New
Total 456117 125 3,306,397 100.00%
Rejected ballots 17,937 122Decrease
Voter turnout 3,310,776 13,558Increase 67.82 5.71Decrease
Registered electors 4,503,142 398,635Increase
    Seats and popular vote by party
    PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
     Progressive Conservative
    51 / 125
    36.07%
    -8.43
     
     New Democratic
    38 / 125
    28.94%
    1.79 1.79
     
     Liberal/Liberal-Labour
    36 / 125
    34.31%
    6.56 6.56
     
     Independent
    0 / 125
    0.12%
    -0.40
     
     Other
    0 / 125
    0.56%
    0.48 0.48
     


    Synopsis of results

    Results by riding - 1975 Ontario general election[2]
    Riding Winning party Turnout
    [a 1]
    Votes
    Name[a 2] 1971 Party Votes Share Margin
    #
    Margin
    %
    PC Lib/LL NDP Ind Other Total
     
    Algoma PC NDP 4,92338.57%3983.12%72.02%4,5253,3154,92312,763
    Algoma—Manitoulin PC PC 5,45240.79%1,1278.43%72.28%5,4523,5894,32513,366
    Brampton New PC 16,43243.66%5,60814.90%72.11%16,4329,90610,8246541037,637
    Brantford PC NDP 12,01239.06%2,4507.97%72.65%9,0639,56212,01211530,752
    Brant—Oxford—Norfolk Lib Lib 14,35855.52%7,93430.68%69.71%6,42414,3584,72135825,861
    Brock New PC 10,97848.31%5,06722.30%65.69%10,9785,9115,83622,725
    Burlington South New PC 17,09345.83%5,75115.42%69.50%17,09311,3428,85937,294
    Cambridge New NDP 11,25538.14%1,5935.40%66.96%8,5959,66211,25529,512
    Carleton PC PC 12,65338.87%6762.08%68.68%12,65311,9777,76915732,556
    Carleton East PC NDP 11,98236.02%2810.84%66.58%9,57911,70111,98233,262
    Carleton-Grenville New PC 12,75953.80%7,02729.63%68.88%12,7595,2265,73223,717
    Chatham—Kent PC PC 10,14643.73%2,81912.15%61.68%10,1467,3275,72823,201
    Cochrane North PC PC 9,98761.74%6,22038.45%66.45%9,9872,4233,76716,177
    Cochrane South NDP NDP 11,07347.87%1,2925.59%68.42%9,7811,95811,07311420523,131
    Cornwall New NDP 11,95851.05%2,68211.45%70.41%9,2762,19111,95823,425
    Dufferin—Simcoe PC PC 14,20145.88%1,6915.46%68.52%14,20112,5103,58565530,951
    Durham East PC NDP 12,89342.26%2,2297.31%70.16%10,6646,69612,89325830,511
    Durham North PC PC 11,20639.28%1110.39%74.12%11,20611,0956,23028,531
    Durham West PC NDP 11,35638.99%1,3144.51%72.71%7,57910,04211,35614929,126
    Elgin PC PC 11,88043.98%1,8296.77%71.27%11,88010,0515,08427,015
    Erie Lib Lib 9,55645.27%2,65012.55%69.35%4,6469,5566,90621,108
    Essex North Lib Lib 9,55044.05%1,8728.64%67.73%4,4519,5507,67821,679
    Essex South Lib Lib 9,51741.34%2,1229.22%67.05%7,3959,5176,10823,020
    Fort William PC NDP 9,17336.59%9533.80%64.61%8,2207,4449,17323025,067
    Frontenac—Addington PC Lib 10,37244.63%1,4156.09%70.78%8,95710,3723,36854523,242
    Grey PC Lib 11,68645.02%2771.07%73.81%11,40911,6862,86325,958
    Grey—Bruce Lib Lib 14,19355.39%5,96423.28%75.71%8,22914,1933,20225,624
    Haldimand—Norfolk PC Lib 13,97645.36%1,9556.35%71.99%12,02113,9764,81430,811
    Halton—Burlington New Lib 10,99839.14%4631.65%72.75%10,53510,9986,56728,100
    Hamilton Centre NDP NDP 8,11438.43%5862.78%56.70%5,2567,5288,11421421,112
    Hamilton East NDP NDP 14,41547.89%5,73619.06%64.10%6,4078,67914,41560130,102
    Hamilton Mountain PC PC 12,76938.80%1,7275.25%72.64%12,7698,92111,04217732,909
    Hamilton West PC Lib 10,58338.34%5421.96%66.04%10,04110,5836,97827,602
    Hastings—Peterborough PC PC 10,91247.89%2,34110.27%71.01%10,9128,5712,96933522,787
    Huron—Bruce Lib Lib 16,27665.70%10,39341.95%73.52%5,88316,2762,61324,772
    Huron—Middlesex New Lib 11,89354.04%3,79517.24%76.12%8,09811,8932,01822,009
    Kenora PC PC 9,58452.42%4,06022.21%67.40%9,5843,1745,52418,282
    Kent—Elgin Lib Lib 12,79356.57%5,23223.13%70.31%7,56112,7932,26222,616
    Kingston and the Islands PC PC 9,44237.82%2030.81%65.01%9,4429,2396,16112424,966
    Kitchener Lib Lib 13,03644.83%4,71016.20%63.50%8,32613,0367,32739229,081
    Kitchener—Wilmot New Lib 9,92940.71%1,7457.16%64.38%6,2759,9298,18424,388
    Lake Nipigon NDP NDP 7,11459.38%4,01433.51%66.78%1,7663,1007,11411,980
    Lambton PC PC 11,04251.53%1,8368.57%73.00%11,0429,2061,18021,428
    Lanark PC PC 11,64156.58%5,79928.18%72.17%11,6415,8423,09220,575
    Leeds PC PC 13,91358.21%8,19734.29%70.69%13,9134,2745,71623,903
    Lincoln PC Lib 8,99542.84%1,0945.21%69.87%7,9018,9954,10020,996
    London Centre New Lib 11,57240.37%2,5698.96%61.12%9,00311,5727,87821328,666
    London North PC Lib 13,68944.65%2,2827.44%66.71%11,40713,6895,56030,656
    London South PC Lib 14,49640.94%5591.58%64.25%13,93714,4966,97135,404
    Middlesex New PC 10,09244.97%8693.87%72.34%10,0929,2233,12522,440
    Mississauga East New PC 9,97339.05%1,3355.23%64.95%9,9738,6386,49943225,542
    Mississauga North New PC 11,00135.55%3851.24%67.33%11,0019,33210,61630,949
    Mississauga South New PC 11,87043.04%3,14411.40%69.04%11,8708,7266,98127,577
    Muskoka PC PC 7,06143.97%1,3768.57%68.73%7,0613,2005,68511116,057
    Niagara Falls PC Lib 10,59437.80%1720.61%65.02%10,42210,5947,01328,029
    Nickel Belt NDP NDP 10,24360.09%6,20936.42%72.60%4,0342,77010,24317,047
    Nipissing Lib Lib 15,48354.35%8,24428.94%69.44%7,23915,4835,11065828,490
    Northumberland PC PC 13,32844.58%3,00110.04%72.44%13,32810,3276,24129,896
    Oakville New PC 12,93345.84%3,75913.32%74.29%12,9339,1746,0119728,215
    Oshawa PC NDP 14,63858.94%7,78731.35%63.27%6,8513,20214,63814624,837
    Ottawa Centre NDP NDP 11,65841.07%2,6809.44%62.19%8,9787,50011,65825028,386
    Ottawa East Lib Lib 14,90060.96%9,89940.50%53.08%5,00114,9004,54324,444
    Ottawa South PC PC 14,76743.15%3,66810.72%67.88%14,7678,36011,09934,226
    Ottawa West PC PC 14,88944.34%5,06315.08%66.10%14,8899,8268,86133,576
    Oxford PC PC 17,77650.72%5,18114.78%71.77%17,77612,5954,67635,047
    Parry Sound PC PC 8,15444.56%9665.28%66.77%8,1547,1882,95718,299
    Perth Lib Lib 17,86563.36%10,47837.16%65.17%7,38717,8652,94528,197
    Peterborough PC NDP 16,15439.53%5051.24%71.23%15,6498,97916,1548340,865
    Port Arthur NDP NDP 12,21349.74%4,61818.81%66.36%7,5954,49912,21324724,554
    Prescott and Russell PC PC 11,00643.93%2,0458.16%68.85%11,0068,9615,08525,052
    Prince Edward—Lennox PC PC 9,62844.32%7333.37%74.37%9,6288,8953,20021,723
    Quinte PC Lib 12,44043.07%6592.28%67.95%11,78112,4404,66328,884
    Rainy River Lib LL 5,89251.58%2,65723.26%64.77%3,2355,892[a 3]2,29511,422
    Renfrew North PC Lib 7,05835.41%1830.92%70.90%6,8757,0586,00119,934
    Renfrew South PC PC 13,88654.20%5,81922.71%75.49%13,8868,0673,26740125,621
    St. Catharines PC PC 10,06434.74%7942.74%59.77%10,0649,2709,21541928,968
    Sarnia Lib Lib 16,27557.69%7,50226.59%63.97%8,77316,2752,95720428,209
    Sault Ste. Marie PC PC 14,41542.46%9452.78%70.91%14,4155,83513,47023233,952
    Simcoe Centre PC PC 13,55739.52%1,9295.62%69.48%13,5579,11611,62834,301
    Simcoe East PC PC 11,62239.48%1,1403.87%69.35%11,6227,33410,48229,438
    Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry New PC 10,83352.54%3,85118.68%68.99%10,8336,9822,80420,619
    Sudbury NDP NDP 12,25838.35%2,2787.13%74.53%9,5499,98012,25817531,962
    Sudbury East NDP NDP 18,76558.84%9,47629.71%74.04%3,8379,28918,76531,891
    Temiskaming PC NDP 8,71344.07%1,5447.81%68.53%7,1693,5468,71317517019,773
    Victoria—Haliburton PC Lib 10,90743.53%1,0234.08%70.64%9,88410,9073,70755625,054
    Waterloo North Lib Lib 12,40947.49%5,26520.15%64.40%7,14412,4096,57626,129
    Welland PC NDP 9,99436.88%1,1154.11%71.26%8,8798,0009,99422327,096
    Wellington—Dufferin—Peel PC PC 12,11040.61%7122.39%69.50%12,11011,3986,31329,821
    Wellington South Lib Lib 15,65450.69%7,88625.54%68.36%7,06315,6547,76825214530,882
    Wentworth NDP NDP 14,84758.73%9,57737.89%68.32%5,2705,16214,84725,279
    Wentworth North PC Lib 13,24240.56%1,9776.06%72.56%11,26513,2428,14032,647
    Windsor—Riverside NDP NDP 13,27347.85%2,4798.94%61.67%3,67110,79413,27327,738
    Windsor—Sandwich NDP NDP 10,62449.73%3,06714.36%58.25%2,7327,55710,62426518421,362
    Windsor—Walkerville Lib Lib 12,51753.28%5,67224.14%63.52%3,97912,5176,84515323,494
    York Centre Lib Lib 14,91340.96%1,8305.03%69.10%13,08314,9138,14027536,411
    York North PC PC 12,89139.65%2,5257.77%68.40%12,89110,3669,25632,513
    Armourdale PC Lib 14,52643.90%2,7028.17%68.91%11,82414,5266,16956733,086
    Beaches—Woodbine PC NDP 11,46245.58%2,88611.48%66.65%8,5764,91411,46219525,147
    Bellwoods PC NDP 4,93538.38%4943.84%64.90%3,2344,4414,93524712,857
    Don Mills PC PC 14,00746.59%5,93319.74%60.68%14,0077,9818,07430,062
    Dovercourt PC NDP 6,08342.10%1,46510.14%63.87%4,6183,1746,0839647714,448
    Downsview Lib NDP 8,09136.90%680.31%65.70%5,8148,0238,09121,928
    Eglinton PC PC 16,67950.97%5,89418.01%68.94%16,67910,7854,70655132,721
    Etobicoke Lib NDP 9,01637.62%1,2565.24%67.04%7,1917,7609,01623,967
    High Park—Swansea NDP NDP 10,17239.84%1,8447.22%68.77%8,3286,54010,17249325,533
    Humber PC PC 17,73944.51%3,3378.37%71.58%17,73914,4027,71039,851
    Lakeshore NDP NDP 14,27151.01%7,62527.26%65.74%6,2816,64614,27117560227,975
    Oakwood New NDP 7,38839.25%1,4187.53%59.66%4,6375,9707,38855827118,824
    Oriole New PC 12,29738.71%2390.75%68.00%12,29712,0587,41331,768
    Parkdale NDP NDP 7,15841.71%1,5599.08%63.23%3,8165,5997,15829229817,163
    Riverdale NDP NDP 9,13350.27%4,26823.49%59.48%4,8653,7549,1339631918,167
    St. Andrew—St. Patrick PC PC 8,05436.66%4291.95%62.57%8,0545,9517,62533921,969
    St. David PC PC 10,53640.27%2,4939.53%66.43%10,5367,1418,04344226,162
    St. George PC Lib 11,04242.10%2,4659.40%60.70%8,57711,0426,02958226,230
    Scarborough Centre PC PC 10,39941.15%1,0374.10%64.13%10,3995,0429,36246925,272
    Scarborough East PC PC 12,64542.59%3,83612.92%66.94%12,6458,8097,85038329,687
    Scarborough—Ellesmere New NDP 10,57339.00%1,3474.97%67.73%9,2267,01910,57329527,113
    Scarborough North PC PC 16,51243.41%2,6777.04%70.03%16,51213,8357,24144738,035
    Scarborough West NDP NDP 15,81557.39%8,60331.22%70.20%7,2124,39315,81513527,555
    Wilson Heights New Lib 11,37942.26%2,6409.81%61.95%8,73911,3796,44136626,925
    York East PC PC 14,48747.42%5,49617.99%66.05%14,4878,9915,9191,15230,549
    York Mills PC PC 17,36546.46%4,07510.90%70.81%17,36513,2906,72037,375
    York South NDP NDP 13,28248.47%6,21822.69%67.30%7,0646,44513,28260927,400
    York West PC PC 13,87138.70%1,3563.78%71.33%13,87112,5159,45435,840
    Yorkview NDP NDP 13,40652.40%5,32020.79%63.02%3,4988,08613,40659425,584
    1. including spoilt ballots
    2. order is as given in EO reports
    3. T. Patrick Reid was elected as a Liberal in 1971
      = open seat
      = turnout is above provincial average
      = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
      = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
      = incumbent had switched allegiance
      = incumbency arose from byelection gain
      = previously incumbent in another riding
      = Liberal-Labour candidate
      = other incumbents renominated
      = multiple candidates

    Analysis

    Party candidates in 2nd place[2]
    Party in 1st placeParty in 2nd placeTotal
    PCLibNDP
    Progressive Conservative 173451
    New Democratic 201838
    Liberal 30535
    Liberal–Labour 11
    Total 512252125
    Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party[2]
    Parties1st2nd3rd4th5th
     Progressive Conservative 515123
     New Democratic 382265
     Liberal 355236
     Liberal–Labour 11
     Communist 267
     Libertarian 123
     Social Credit 102
     Independent 95
     North American Labour 21
    Resulting composition of the 28th Legislative Assembly[2]
    SourceParty
    PC NDP Lib LL Total
    Seats retainedIncumbents returned 34151463
    Open seats held 54211
    Held by previous incumbent from other riding 11
    Incumbent changed to Liberal-Labour 11
    Seats changing handsIncumbents defeated 9716
    Open seats gained 5611
    Byelection gain held 11
    Ouster of third-party byelection gain 11
    New ridingsNew MPPs 3339
    Previously incumbent in other riding 81211
    Total 5138351125

    MPPs elected by region and riding

    Party designations are as follows:

      PC
      Liberal
      NDP
      Liberal-Labour


    See also

    References

    1. The Representation Act, 1975, S.O. 1975, c. 13
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1975 general election results". Elections Ontario. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
    3. The Election Finances Reform Act, 1975, S.O. 1975, c. 12
    4. "125 seats in legislature: Record 454 candidates nominated for 125 Ontario seats". The Globe and Mail. September 5, 1975. p. 40.
    5. Williamson, Robert (September 19, 1975). "Elected: PCs, 51; NDP, 38; Lib, 36: AFTER 30 YEARS, TORY MINORITY Lewis will head official Opposition". The Globe and Mail. p. C1.
    6. "Leader didn't know: Socreds don't qualify as a party for election". The Globe and Mail. August 14, 1975. p. 4.

    Further reading

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