In his victory speech near Toronto, a beaming Ford declared Ontario is “open for business,” pledging his government will usher in “an era of economic prosperity the likes of which Ontario has never seen before.”

It’s not clear how Ford will fund his promises, as the party didn’t release a fully costed plan.

“He ran a campaign of slogan,” said Chris Waddell, a professor at Carleton University’s school of journalism and communications in Ottawa.

“Mr Ford is so unknowledgable about the events, about how governments run or anything like that, it’s hard to know what’s actually going to happen.”

The Conservatives are promising to balance the budget over a “responsible time-frame” even as they pledge to cut taxes and increase spending on health care and infrastructure. Ontario’s debt has ballooned under the Liberal Party, soaring to 37 per cent of gross domestic product, from about 27 per cent when they took power in 2003. Ontario, home to some of Canada’s biggest companies and its financial services hub, is the largest subsovereign borrower in the world.

Ford succeeds Kathleen Wynne, a five-year incumbent who conceded last week that she was headed for defeat. Her Liberal Party had grown deeply unpopular amid rising electricity prices and voter fatigue. The Liberals were poised to win just seven seats, short of the eight needed to maintain official party status to fully participate in the legislature. Wynne, 65, stepped down as party leader.

Ford’s main rival was New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath, 55, who pitched tax increases on corporations and high earners to finance expanded social programmes. The Conservatives and NDP were neck and neck in most polls based on popular support, though Ford’s backing was more widely spread across the province, leading to more seats. The NDP will now be the largest opposition party, with about 40 seats. The Green Party meanwhile, picked up its first ever seat in the province.

Ford also pledged to scrap the province’s cap-and-trade programme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, setting up a showdown with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has vowed to ensure every Canadian province adopts some form of carbon tax. Ford also wants to get rid of the chief executive officer of Hydro One Ltd., the provincial utility that was sold to investors through an initial public offering in 2015. It’s not clear a premier has the power to do that as the government holds a 47 per cent stake.

“If he wants to throw his weight around, he’s going to find that’s going to suppress the share price pretty dramatically,” Waddell said.

Like his brother Rob, known around the world for his admission of crack cocaine use while running Canada’s largest city, Doug Ford has a combative, anti-establishment, not-fussed-with-policy approach that evokes comparisons to Trump. The Fords built a political base known as “Ford Nation” in the west end of Toronto, helping elevate Rob to mayor in 2010, while Doug was a councillor and de facto co-mayor.

The Fords amassed a modest fortune through the closely held labelling business started by their father, Deco Labels & Tags Ltd., which Doug has run and expanded into the US While Rob served as mayor until 2014, Doug was at his side and when Rob fell ill – he died from cancer – Doug stepped in to run for mayor, finishing second.

“I know that my brother Rob is looking down from Heaven,” Doug said to roaring cheers. “I’m just getting chills talking about him right now.”