Peterborough voters have a crucial decision to make Thursday

Majority government from the right? Majority from the left? Minority with a centre-left swing vote?

Those are Ontario’s possibilities following Premier Kathleen Wynne’s surprise concession of certain defeat in Thursday’s provincial election.

The Doug Ford vs. Andrea Horwath standoff created by Wynne’s push for minority leverage presents voters with their most polarized choice in decades, while at the same time intensifying the strategic voting conversation.

Ford and the Progressive Conservatives promise smaller government, lower taxes and cheaper electricity and gasoline. Young parents could spend government daycare cheques on any form of care they prefer – private, public or their next-door neighbour.

The net cost of Ford’s promises and details on how they would be implemented are vague. His “in Ford we trust” platform relies heavily on the message that he is the only trustworthy leader.

Horwath and the NDP are running neck and neck with the PCs while riding a completely different horse: hard left vs. conservative populism, detail vs. wait-andsee. The NDP list of expanded social programs includes low-cost daycare, cradle to grave drug plans and student grants instead of loans. Privatization of Hydro

One would be reversed.

All those promises are costed, as are the deficits they would produce.

The Liberals had hoped to hang on one more time after nearly 15 years in power. Dismal polling numbers left Wynne hoping enough Liberal faithful will stay true to give her party the power balance in a minority government.

Meanwhile, voters in Peterborough-Kawartha will chose a local candidate to support.

Liberal Jeff Leal spent the last term in cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Small Business and was a city councillor for 15 years before moving to Queen’s Park in 2003. Experience is his middle name.

Leal has earned a reputation as being hardworking, trustworthy and effective. He knows the riding, knows Queen’s Park and would be a key figure if the Liberals squeeze into a minority situation.

Progressive Conservative Dave Smith is a political rookie with a community service record as a minor hockey executive and time served on City Hall advisory committees for community grants and the Peterborough Museum and Archives.

A Trent University grad, he has a computer science degree and an MBA. His capture of the PC nomination here as an underdog is a sign of political talents waiting to be developed.

Sean Conway, at 26, brings youth and a fresh outlook to the NDP. His roots are in Curve Lake First Nation, but he has lived in Peterborough since moving to the city to attend high school.

Conway is a well-known musician and booking agent in the local independent music scene whose full-time job is bartending. He is bright, personable and energetic, but has limited political or community service experience.

Green Party candidate Gianne Broughton is an environmentalist and educational entrepreneur with a graduate degree and a background in community transportation planning. Two fringe party candidates are also in the running: Ken Ranney for Stop Climate Change and Libertarian Jacob Currier.

Those are the choices. Whether you bend toward a leader, chose a favoured local candidate or try to decipher the advantages of strategic voting, do go out and vote.

Ontario is headed toward interesting political times. On June 7, everyone has a chance to help set the agenda.