Doug Ford

Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018.

He represents the Toronto riding of Etobicoke North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

In the 1990s, Ford became involved in the running of Deco Labels and Tags, a business co-founded by his father in 1962.

The company makes pressure-sensitive labels for plastic-wrapped grocery products.

Ford's first involvement in politics came when Doug Holyday approached Deco to print stickers for signs for his 1994 mayoral campaign in Etobicoke. Ford took it upon himself to canvass for Holyday.

With his brother Randy, Ford co-owns Deco Labels and Tags, a printing business operating in Canada and the United States that was founded by their father, Doug Ford Sr.., who served as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from 1995 to 1999.

He then assisted in his father's campaigns as a PC MPP candidate in 1995 and 1999. He also ran his brother Rob's council campaigns in 2000, 2003, and 2006, and Rob's winning mayoral campaign in 2010.

Doug Jr. became president of the company in 2002, and was responsible for the company's expansion into Chicago.

Nearing his death, his father divided up the company, leaving 40 percent to Doug Jr., 40 percent to Randy and 20 percent to Rob.

In 2008, Doug Jr. launched the purchase of Wise Tag and Label in New Jersey and fired Wise Tag's manager.

Ford was a Toronto city councillor for Ward 2 Etobicoke North from 2010 to 2014 at the same time that his brother, Rob Ford, was mayor of Toronto.

Former Deco employees suggest that the Chicago branch was well-managed under Doug Jr., and that he was well-liked but that the company declined under Randy's leadership after Doug Jr. entered politics in 2010.

, Ford and his mother were directors of the company, managed by his brother Randy.

On October 25, 2010, Ford was elected as councillor to Toronto City Council in Ward 2.

He succeeded his brother, Rob, who ran successfully for mayor of Toronto.

Upon election, Doug Ford announced that he would donate his $100,000 annual salary to community organizations.

As a city councillor, Ford voted to privatize garbage pickup west of Yonge Street, declare the Toronto Transit Commission an essential service, reduce the office budget of city councillors and eliminate the vehicle registration tax.

While on city council, Ford served on the board of Build Toronto, an arm's-length city body responsible for developing and selling city land.

He was also a director of the Canadian National Exhibition, and served on the Budget Committee, the Civic Appointments Committee and the Government Management Committee at Council.

Ford was a member of the board of Toronto Transit Infrastructure Limited, a corporation set up to finance a Sheppard Avenue subway extension, which Council later cancelled.

In 2011, Ford promoted an alternative plan for the Port Lands district of Toronto, including a monorail, a boat-in hotel, the world's largest Ferris wheel and a mega-mall.

The plan was ridiculed in the media and council voted it down—including by members of the mayoral executive committee.

Ford caused controversy after revealing that his brother Rob would be served a subpoena if Rob's friend and driver Alexander Lisi went to court over charges of extortion.

Ford commented that the subpoena was in "payback" for Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair not getting a contract renewal with the Toronto Police Service, saying "This is why we need a change at the top", in regards to Blair's contract.

Blair filed a defamation lawsuit, demanding a written apology in exchange for dropping the suit.

Ford apologized and retracted the comments.

An investigative report by The Globe and Mail published in May 2013 alleged that Ford had sold hashish at James Gardens for several years in the 1980s, based on interviews with anonymous sources.

Ford, who had never been charged with drug possession or trafficking, denied the allegations and accused the newspaper of unfairly targeting his brother, then-mayor Rob Ford.

The newspaper defended its report and its use of anonymous sources at an Ontario Press Council hearing, which dismissed complaints against the newspaper and found that its coverage was "fair and ethical".

Ford said at the time that he planned to sue the newspaper for libel.

In June 2013, Ford announced that he would not run for re-election as councillor in the next Toronto election, scheduled for 2014: "I won't be running next time, at least down here I won't be running, I'll be running away from this place in 16 months", expressing his frustration with municipal politics.

It was speculated at the time that Ford may be a Progressive Conservative candidate for a future Ontario election, or interested in the leadership of the PCs.

Ford ran for the 2014 Toronto mayoral election, where he placed second behind John Tory.

In 2018, Ford won the party leadership election of the PC Party and led the PCs to majority victories in the 2018 and 2022 general elections.

Born in Etobicoke, Ontario, Ford was the second of four children of Doug Bruce Ford Sr. and Ruth Diane Ford ( Campbell).

His paternal grandparents were English immigrants.

He graduated grade twelve from Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute.

He then attended Humber College for two months before dropping out with no degree.

When asked in a 2018 interview why he had not sued, he replied that he had decided a lawsuit would be a "waste of time".

Ford opposed a house for developmentally disabled youth in his ward, saying the home had "ruined the community".