Bonnie Crombie no longer Ontario Liberal leader ‘effective immediately’

Queen's Park Observer Founder Sabrina Nanji says Crombie's sudden resignation opens the door for new leadership and a fresh start for the party.

Bonnie Crombie is no longer leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.

In a news release Wednesday, the party said her resignation is “effective immediately.”

“As we begin a new year, I believe this is the right moment for me and for the party, to move forward,” Crombie said in a statement.

She said her formal resignation will allow the party to appoint an interim leader.

Crombie said she made the decision “after careful reflection” and added that she is “incredibly proud” of the work she has contributed to in renewing the party.

“I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, including welcoming my first grandchild, while giving the party the space it needs to move forward with new leadership,” she said.

Crombie, the former mayor of Mississauga, won the Liberal leadership race in 2023 and led the party into last year’s winter election. While the Liberals slightly increased their seat count, they finished in third place behind the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP. Crombie also failed to win a seat.

She initially vowed to stay on as Liberal leader, despite the defeat. But following a weak show of support at the party’s annual general meeting in September, she announced she would step aside after the Liberals picked a new leader.

However months later, the party has still not announced a timeline or framework for a leadership contest to replace her.

MPP John Fraser has been leading the party in the legislature since Crombie announced her intention to step down.

In a statement, Ontario Liberal Party President Kathryn McGarry thanked Crombie for her “dedication, leadership, and commitment” to the party and the province.

“Bonnie stepped forward at a critical moment and played an important role in rebuilding our party, growing our movement, and positioning us for the future,” McGarry wrote.

She said the party “will move swiftly” to ensure continuity and added that the executive council has been working out the details of a leadership race and plans to announce a date soon.

“The Ontario Liberal Party remains focused on preparing for the next chapter of our party and continuing to hold Doug Ford’s Conservatives to account,” McGarry wrote.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles also thanked Crombie for her service in a message posted to X.

“Thank you, Bonnie Crombie, for your many years of public service at the municipal, provincial, and federal level,” Stiles wrote. “I’ve appreciated our conversations and debates over the past few years, and your dedication to Ontario. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter!”

Crombie’s formal resignation once again leaves the Liberals’ political fortunes up in the air. The party has been out of power since former premier Kathleen Wynne’s defeat in 2018, and currently holds just 14 seats at Queen’s Park.

A recent poll by Liaison Strategies found the Liberals still trail the governing PCs by around nine percentage points, with 44 per cent saying they would vote for the PCs if an election were held today, versus 35 per cent for the Liberals. Around 16 per cent said they would vote NDP and three per cent said they would for the Green Party.

The poll, conducted Dec. 5-7 using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology, surveyed 1,000 Ontarians. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

It’s not yet clear who might take the reigns of the party next. Fraser has said he does not plan to run for the permanent leadership.

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith has said he is exploring another possible run at the leadership after finishing second to Crombie in 2023. Liberal MPPs Lee Fairclough, Adil Shamji and Rob Cerjanec have also said they are considering a bid.

With files from The Canadian Press