Perth—Wellington

Perth—Wellington is a largely rural riding in southwestern Ontario that includes the city of Stratford, the town of St. Marys, and the farming communities of Mapleton, Minto, and Wellington North. Progressive Conservative Matthew Rae won the seat in 2022 as a first-time candidate following the retirement of long-serving MPP Randy Pettapiece. During his first term, Rae served as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and, before that, to the Minister of Education. He grew up on a dairy farm outside Harriston and worked for both the outgoing MPP and the federal Conservative MP for the area before entering politics. The riding’s economy is anchored by agriculture, with some of Ontario’s most productive farmland, while Stratford’s internationally renowned festival theatre adds a significant cultural and tourism dimension.

Candidates

Matthew Rae (Progressive Conservative) — Rae grew up on his family’s dairy farm near Harriston and holds a degree in political science and international development from the University of Guelph and a master’s degree from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. During his first term, he served as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Ashley Fox (Liberal) — Fox is a registered practical nurse from Palmerston with experience in leadership roles in geriatric care. She works as a nurse case manager and community outreach coordinator at Promyse Home Care and also serves as a mentor for students at Conestoga College. This was her second time running as the Liberal candidate in the riding.

Jason Davis (NDP) — Davis is a diesel technician in the agricultural industry and the owner of Stratford Comic Stop. He co-founded the Stratford Affordable Housing Alliance and helped create the Mikinaak Community Land Trust, focusing on non-market and deeply affordable housing in the region.

Ian Morton ran for the Green Party, James Montgomery for the New Blue Party, Sarah Zenuh for the Ontario Party, and Rob Smink for the Freedom Party.

Local Issues

Rural health-care access was a top concern for residents throughout the 2022–2025 term. An estimated 17,000 people in the riding lacked access to a family doctor, and residents in smaller communities often had to travel significant distances for medical appointments. The province’s investment in nurse practitioner-led clinics and physician recruitment incentives had not yet closed the gap. Long-term care capacity and home care availability remained pressing issues for an aging rural population.

Farmland protection continued to be a defining issue. The Greenbelt controversy of 2023, in which the Ford government removed protected lands before reversing course, resonated with Oxford and Perth County farmers and municipal leaders concerned about development pressure on prime agricultural land. Rural broadband access saw incremental improvement through the SWIFT network and provincial funding, but many households and farms still lacked reliable high-speed internet despite years of promises. The province’s actual broadband spending fell well short of budgeted amounts, according to oversight reports. Affordable housing was also increasingly urgent in communities like Stratford, where the seasonal influx of festival visitors strained an already tight rental market and where workers struggled to find accommodation.