Doug Ford says he’s ready to derail Premier Kathleen Wynne’s “gravy train” by running for the Progressive Conservatives in a possible spring election.

Taking to the airwaves Wednesday with his familiar refrain, the Etobicoke North Ward 2 city councillor and Mayor Rob Ford’s older brother capped months of speculation about his plans, saying Wynne’s push for new taxes to fund a $50 billion, 25-year transit plan is the last straw.

“We’re gonna go down there and we’re gonna stop the gravy train in Ontario,” Ford told CP24 after an earlier appearance on AM640, insisting the province can find $2 billion a year in savings to cover the transit cost.

“Call an election, Kathleen Wynne, in May and I will run. I will guarantee it and we will defeat you,” Ford said on station’s John Oakley Show, a favourite landing spot for Conservative politicos.

“We will make sure this province is going in the right direction.”

In the scenario that an election might not come until fall, because of NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s vow to let the upcoming Liberal budget pass if it includes lower auto insurance rates and job training subsidies, Ford was less definitive about his future in provincial politics.

“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it,” said Ford, who minutes later hedged his bets by saying, “If I go down to the province I will stop the gravy train.”

Ford did not indicate where he planned to run, but the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario said it’s looking for a candidate on his home turf of Etobicoke North.

“We’re really happy he’s considering it because he’s done a great job at city hall on controlling spending,” said Conservative communications director Alan Sakach. “We’d welcome him.”

Should Ford run and defeat veteran Liberal MPP Dr. Shafiq Qaadri in the riding, he would give the Tories a long-sought beachhead in the 416 area code that has shunned the party since 2003.

City hall sources said Ford would expect a senior cabinet portfolio, such as finance, if the Tories win an election — and if they lose, he would consider running to replace Hudak, whom Ford described as a “fabulous leader.”

Ford’s father, Doug Ford Sr., was Tory MPP for the old riding of Etobicoke—Humber from 1995-99 before being squeezed from office when former premier Mike Harris chopped the number of seats in the legislature in a symbolic cost-cutting move. This left the Ford family with hard feelings.

Hudak’s office declined comment on Ford’s potential candidacy in Etobicoke North, but Tory MPPs were enthusiastic.

“The Ford family have been great friends for a long time and they bring a lot of skills to the table,” said deputy leader Christine Elliott.

One Liberal operative described Ford as a loose cannon and an “urban Randy Hillier,” a reference to the maverick eastern Ontario Tory MPP who once ran the radical Ontario Landowners Association.

Ford had some free advice for Horwath, advising her to join Hudak in defeating the Liberals’ budget to force a May or June campaign.

“The longer Andrea’s waiting, the more fences Kathleen Wynne is going to mend,” said Ford, referring to the government’s recent deals with teachers infuriated by former premier Dalton McGuinty.

Wynne wished Ford the best but warned he may be disappointed.

“I wish any candidate . . . lots of luck, you know, depending on the party,” she joked with reporters in Kingston, adding: “I’m not planning on holding an election in May. I’m running to govern and I believe the people of Ontario want to see the minority parliament work.”

In the 2011 provincial election, Qaadri defeated Conservative challenger Karm Singh by about 6,000 votes and received 48 per cent of the popular vote.

With files from Russell Piffer and Richard J. Brennan

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