Bonnie Crombie to resign as Ontario Liberal leader after weak show of support

The Ontario Liberals will look to hold their third leadership race since 2020, following a resignation announcement by Bonnie Crombie, who received a weak show of support at the party’s annual general meeting.

Crombie, who won the party’s last leadership race in late 2023, said in a statement that she believes it is the best decision for the party to facilitate an orderly transition toward a leadership vote and she plans to resign upon the selection of a new leader.

“I looked out at our audience today and thought about all the conversations I’ve had over the last few days…conversations with Ontario Liberals who see that the future of this province is bright and who are ready to make sure it happens with us in the driver’s seat,” she wrote in a statement.

“I want to do everything I can to ensure that opportunity is not impeded by any one person. This is more important than ego. This is more important than ambition. This is about the very thing that unites us all.”

Delegates at AGM voted on whether to hold a new leadership race and 57 per cent voted no.

It was more than the hair over the 50 per cent required by the Ontario Liberal constitution for Crombie to stay on as leader, but some party members had been calling for her to step down if she received less than 66 per cent.

Crombie initially said she planned to stay on as leader, adding that a leadership race right now would do more harm than good for the party. However, just a few hours later, she reversed course.

Premier Doug Ford thanked Crombie for her years of public service as an MP, mayor of Mississauga and leader of the Liberals.

“Politics demands a lot of personal sacrifice, including time away from family and loved ones,” he wrote in a statement. “I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter.”

The AGM was the party’s first since the February election that saw them increase their seat count from nine to 14 and regain official party status, but also saw them fail to form Official Opposition and left their leader without a seat in the legislature.

Noah Parker, an organizer with a group of Liberals who had been urging a leadership race, said while Crombie did a lot of great work for the party, he is looking forward to working on electing a new leader.

“Just look at what happened with our federal Liberals, and the complete excitement and new flurry of fundraising and donors, and of course, the complete 180 of the electoral prospects of that party as a result of a leadership contest,” said Parker, who was also one of several Liberals elected Sunday to the party’s executive council.

“The issues are fast evolving, and our province is fast deteriorating and so I think people in the electorate and Ontario Liberals will relish an opportunity to set a new course, one of which that can beat Doug Ford.”

“Bonnie Crombie has advised me of her intention to resign as Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party upon the election of her successor,” said Ontario Liberal Party President Kathryn McGarry in a statement on Sunday.

“On behalf of the Ontario Liberal Party, I sincerely thank Bonnie for everything that she has done for our party as Leader. Under her leadership, our party regained official party status in the Legislature and had its highest vote total in three elections. We sincerely thank Bonnie for being the spark that our party needed.”

She then added that the party will decide upon the details of a leadership election contest at a later date.

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