Jennifer French has secured a fourth consecutive term representing Oshawa in the Ontario Legislature, defeating Progressive Conservative challenger Jerry Ouellette by 1,925 votes.
This election carried particular weight as Ouellette – who served as Oshawa’s PC MPP for nearly two decades until French’s victory in 2014 – sought to return to elected politics after an 11-year break.
Speaking to supporters at All-Or-Nothing Craft Beer off Ritson Road in Oshawa on Feb. 28, the 66-year-old conceded, telling the crowd, “I’m sorry I let you down.”
“Look, when things don’t go right, it’s up to the person standing on the podium to take responsibility,” he said according to DurhamRegion.com.
A dedicated member of the Ontario NDP, French told the Chronicle she will continue to advocate for affordable housing, publicly funded health care and robust social services.
With the region facing significant economic challenges – from job losses to wage concerns and international tariff impacts – French remains focused on protecting workers. “We have to make sure that we’re investing in the income replacement if the worst happens to make sure that workers who lose their jobs aren’t also losing their homes,” she said.
French also stressed the need to create sustainable, well-paying jobs rather than relying on precarious, low-wage employment. “You can’t lose a career that has benefits and stable income and then expect people to replace that with part-time work that doesn’t pay the bills,” French said.
To achieve economic resilience, she advocates for strengthening domestic and interprovincial supply chains, ensuring that Ontario remains competitive in the global market.
French has long been recognized as one of Ontario’s strongest voices for labour rights at Queen’s Park, according to Heather Erlen, director of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).
“I’m very impressed with Jennifer French,” Erlen said. “She has a long history in the labour movement and for advocating for workers’ rights at Queen’s Park. She’s already doing such a strong voice for labour in the Oshawa community and I know she’s going to continue to stand strong for those jobs in those communities.”
Looking ahead, Erlen emphasized the critical importance of worker protections during these uncertain economic times. She sees French as a key advocate for job security and fair wages, particularly as the province faces mounting challenges.
“I’ll look forward to seeing what her and the Ontario NDP will come forward with as far as making sure that workers are not left behind in the actions that are taken by the provincial government to help support Ontario through this very challenging time,” Erlen added.
Addressing housing affordability and stability
Beyond labour issues, French has identified housing affordability as a crucial concern affecting her constituents. During her campaign, she witnessed firsthand the widespread impact of the housing crisis. “No matter where I was, no matter what door I was standing in front of in Oshawa, I was hearing challenges about housing,” she said, explaining that residents are increasingly fearful of losing their homes, whether due to soaring rents or the lack of affordable downsizing options for seniors.
A cornerstone of French’s agenda is the Ontario NDP’s comprehensive homes plan.
“We need affordable rentals. We need family homes. We need, supportive transitional housing,” she said. To achieve these goals, she advocates for diverse solutions including the construction of fourplexes and mixed-housing developments to ensure a wide range of affordable housing options.
This sentiment has been echoed by Vicki Sweeney, president of Central Lakes Association of REALTORS (CLAR).
“Durham Region has a housing affordability crisis,” she said in a news release last year, “We need all hands-on deck to get more attainable housing built that families can afford. Our new report provides a road map for how each municipality can adopt tailored approaches to meet its distinct housing challenges.”
Rent control stands as another critical component of her housing strategy. French contends that current protections fall short, with existing policies often favouring landlords at the expense of tenants.
“There’s incentive to drive people out of affordable housing. We have to get rid of that incentive and have the rent control be based on the unit, not the renter,” she said.
Fighting for public health care and a new hospital in Durham
French has long been a vocal advocate for publicly funded and publicly delivered health care. With growing concerns over access to family doctors, long wait times and increasing privatization, she is determined to push for systemic improvements.
“I was one of the members of provincial Parliament that used their voice to call for a new hospital for Durham Region and I will continue to make sure that project moves forward and gets funded,” she said. French also supports the creation of family care teams, which require provincial investment to function effectively.
Additionally, she is calling for better utilization of family doctors. “The doctors themselves have said that if they had support with all of the paperwork, if there were more admin staff to handle that, then doctors could see more patients,” she said.
French has been particularly vocal about the financial inefficiencies in health care spending, especially regarding private nursing agencies. “It was costing the hospitals far more money for nursing care needlessly,” she said.
A stronger partnership with municipalities
Addressing another critical aspect of public service delivery, French emphasized the need for better collaboration between provincial and municipal governments. She pointed to a concerning trend of responsibility shifting that strains local resources.
“We’ve just been dumping all of the responsibility for everything to them (municipalities), so the dollars can’t go as far when we’re making them responsible for health care, mental health care or whatnot,” she explained.
She is committed to challenging the provincial government to listen to municipal leaders who, as she noted, are “tired of begging for scraps.” Her goal is to ensure the province takes back responsibility for critical services rather than off-loading them onto local governments with limited resources.
Moving forward with legislative initiatives
As French enters this term, she is prepared to reintroduce key legislative initiatives, including the EV Ready Homes Act and a road safety bill, among others. While navigating challenges such as international tariffs and economic uncertainty, she remains focused on community-led issues that were erased with the last election.
“I would hope that the next generation and the students and our new neighbours who come here still have those pathways and programs in front of them and that they are strengthened and better,” she said.
French continues to advocate for policies that promote community well-being, economic stability and fairness. As she embarks on another term, she said she remains committed to ensuring that Ontario becomes a place where residents can live without fear of financial insecurity, health care inaccessibility or housing instability.