In Ontario, the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) played a decisive role in a handful of tightly contested ridings, where their share of the vote may have cost the Conservatives potential victories—or even forced unexpected ties.
The conflict between voting based on conviction and voting strategically was a key theme of this election. While many progressive voters supported the Liberals to block a potential Conservative government, PPC supporters largely stuck with their party, even in close races where their votes might have changed the outcome.
One of the clearest examples came in Brampton East, where the PPC secured 4.7 per cent of the vote.
The Conservatives trailed the Liberals by just 3.9 per cent—suggesting that without the PPC presence, the Conservatives might have overtaken the Liberals.
In Kitchener–Conestoga, the PPC received 1.3 per cent of the vote. The Liberal candidate edged out a win with 48.2 per cent, narrowly beating the Conservatives, who earned 47.6 per cent.
Again, the PPC’s small share of the vote appears to have influenced the outcome.
Meanwhile, in Brampton–North Caledon, a highly competitive race ended in a rare statistical tie between the Conservatives and Liberals, each taking 48.1 per cent of the vote.
The PPC took 3.9 per cent—more than enough to have broken the deadlock in the Conservatives’ favour.