Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has sent his clearest signal to date that next fall's provincial election campaign will be his last.
In an interview with CTV News, broadcast on Thursday evening, Mr. McGuinty was asked whether he would serve out all four years of a third mandate. "I'm not going to speculate as to how long," he said with a smile.
Mr. McGuinty added that he's "absolutely committed to seeing the policies through that we've already put in place," and to "taking the next step forward to ensure that we have the strongest possible economy that supports our schools and our hospitals and good jobs for kids."
It's widely expected in provincial circles that Mr. McGuinty, who has led the Ontario Liberal Party since 1996, will give way to another leader before the election scheduled for October, 2015, even if voters hand him another term this year. But he had previously avoided acknowledging that prospect, which will add to media speculation about his preferred timeline and potential successors.
Adam Radwanski