Wynne plays it cool about upcoming battle with Ford over premiership

If Kathleen Wynne is worried about competing with Doug Ford for votes in the upcoming provincial election, she’s not letting on.

The Premier seems to be trying to play it cool now that she knows she’ll be facing off with the newly chosen Progressive Conservative leader.

“No matter who we’re fighting against, it is always about who we’re fighting for and what we are fighting for. From my perspective, it didn’t matter who the leader of the Conservatives is going to be,” Wynne said.

“Our policies are about investing in people, investing in the care of people in this province.”

On Saturday, after a very tight race, it was announced that Ford had beat Christine Elliott to take the helm of the party following Patrick Brown’s departure earlier this year amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Wynne acknowledged that she doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Ford, but “that’s not news to anyone.”

“Doug Ford and I disagree on a lot of things, that’s a reality,” she said.

“What we are putting forward as a platform is very different than any of the Conservatives would have put forward.”

Wynne said she’s sticking to her plan and wants to keep focused on her government’s record and plans for the future.

But when pressed on how the campaign may take on a different tone with Ford as a candidate, Wynne said the election may be about more than just the issues.

“We shouldn’t minimize the importance of this and boil it down to a political horse race,” she explained.

“This is about the fundamentals of what government exists to do and I look forward to a serious debate with the other party leaders.”