Who will be the next leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario?

[Loco101]

Now that Kathleen Wynne is no longer leader, who will be the next leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario?

[1overcosc]

Of the current caucus, maybe Michael Gravelle?

[Loco101]

Who I think could be the next leader:

Possibilities from current MPPs:

Mitzie Hunter

Michael Coteau

Marie-France Lalonde

I don't see the other MPPs being interested.

Possibilities from outside of the legislature:

Sandra Pupatello (former Liberal cabinet minister)

Chrystia Freeland (currently federal Minister of Foreign Affairs)

Ahmed Hussen (current federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship)

Maybe a couple others from the current federal cabinet?

I don't think Ontario has ever had a Premier who wasn't mainly of British Isles descent with the exception of Dalton McGuinty who was of Irish and French-Canadian background. So I wouldn't at all be surprised if the next leader is mainly or entirely of a different background. I believe all of the people I mentioned above fit that description.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Who I think could be the next leader:

Possibilities from current MPPs:

Mitzie Hunter

Michael Coteau

Marie-France Lalonde

I don't see the other MPPs being interested.

Possibilities from outside of the legislature:

Sandra Pupatello (former Liberal cabinet minister)

Chrystia Freeland (currently federal Minister of Foreign Affairs)

Ahmed Hussen (current federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship)

Maybe a couple others from the current federal cabinet?

I don't think Ontario has ever had a Premier who wasn't mainly of British Isles descent with the exception of Dalton McGuinty who was of Irish and French-Canadian background. So I wouldn't at all be surprised if the next leader is mainly or entirely of a different background. I believe all of the people I mentioned above fit that description.

Interesting idea, but it would be a pretty big step down for her.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Chrystia Freeland (currently federal Minister of Foreign Affairs)

Not Freeland. Her main interests lie in big "international" issues and I can't see her being interested into the more "parochial" world of provincial politics. I think leading the OLP in this state especially is a big step down for her.

[Docere]

Sandra Pupatello does have an appeal (at least on paper) to two constituencies that bolted to Ford en masse: center-right blue Liberals and Italian Canadians.

On the other hand, she has a rather abrasive personality.

[Docere]

Wonder if Eric Hoskins may try to make a comeback. Though my feeling is he is more likely to run in St. Paul's federally in 2019 as the "pharmacare" candidate.

While he was the MPP for the "prestige" riding of St. Paul's, he has a rural background and ran in Haldimand-Norfolk federally back in 2008.

[once]

They need someone with some brand name power. I think an optimal candidate would be someone from the Trudeau cabinet. I don't think going from Federal cabinet to leader of Canada's largest most powerful province would be a demotion for any one of them. Whether any of them have the brand pull. Personally my pick might be McKenna, but considering the history of eco-boondoogles in Ontario that might be untenable.

[vid]

I can see Michael Gravelle being the interim leader, he's 69 now so he's probably going to make this his last term and he is now the longest serving MPP in their caucus.

[Bcasey25raptor]

I really hope that whoever becomes leader doesn't forsake the progress wynne made. Centrist shouldn't mean being PC lite, centrist should mean being progressive and open to changing ideas based on outcomes and new information.

i.e. be the NDP without an obsession with ideological purity. Be a party that once in a while has to step it's foot down on labour unions but overall supports unions. Be the party which support the minimum wage and welfare state but being nuanced about it, no $15 an hour minimum wage hikes overnight, predictable inflation increases from this point onwards.

Support universal dental and optical, not for an ideological reason, but because thats the easiest way to cut costs in the long run.

Keep taxes low except when they need to be raised, keep spending at inflation levels, don't advocate austerity. Support LGBT rights and minority rights, support safe injection sites.

Be Wynne's Liberals but do so in a way that shows you realized your mistake and won't enact policies that are rushed and not complete.

[Blitz]

I'd be all in on Sandra Pupatello. I get how she might've appeared to be abrasive while in the legislature but that was just her fighting for her constituents...it's not her actual personality. She is immensely popular in Windsor (she's actually nicknamed the Warrior Princess here) and I'd love to see her one day take on a bumbling boob like Ford.

[Marshsparrow]

Nathalie Des Rosiers

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Nathalie Des Rosiers

I've thought that too, if she wants to do it. But I don't know the other individuals.

Edit: I mean as interim leader. Not a contender for next leader, I don't think.

[once]

Success criteria for interim leader: convince someone to cross the floor to regain official party status. Literally anything else is irrelevant for this individual. Whoever can reasonably reach that goal will be the best choice for interim leader.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by once

Success criteria for interim leader: convince someone to cross the floor to regain official party status. Literally anything else is irrelevant for this individual. Whoever can reasonably reach that goal will be the best choice for interim leader.

Geez, perhaps somebody will get an envelope full of cash. No, no Canadian politician would ever be caught having received an envelope full of cash ....

[once]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Geez, perhaps somebody will get an envelope full of cash. No, no Canadian politician would ever be caught having received an envelope full of cash ....

I suspect it will be much easier (and cheaper) than that. Won't be long before Mr. Ford totally alienates some of his fellow cabinet and pushes some Red Tories over, perhaps sooner than later. If Mulroney and Elliot are on the cusp of securing cabinet positions as is rumoured, I am sure some apples will shake lose from that tree. Likewise if Ford goes for more extreme picks in other areas.

Wait until the cabinet gets solidified, capitalize on scorned members, and get that member to cross the floor. Get an interim leader who can make it happen.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Nathalie Des Rosiers

I thought of her but she's not very young and doesn't seem to be someone who would have broad appeal to the public. I thought Marie-France Lalonde would be more interesting but I highly doubt that even she would be next leader. But I think there is a remote chance as she spoke on behalf of the Liberals in the French-language debate.


French language debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUuVVQHWQ50

[Loco101]

When I created this thread I should have clarified that it's about who the next non-interim leader will be. But we should also discuss who the interim one could and should be.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Docere

Not Freeland. Her main interests lie in big "international" issues and I can't see her being interested into the more "parochial" world of provincial politics. I think leading the OLP in this state especially is a big step down for her.

I do agree that she has a very big international perspective of everything. She could be a future Prime Minister but I don't know if her timing is right.

But she is an amazingly good speaker and is someone who sounds interesting no matter what she is talking about. And her appearances in the media are what makes her grab peoples' attention in a positive manner. I also think that she would be very effective against Ford as she has taken on many conservative politicians and knows how to debate them. If she won in a by-election and the Liberals got official party status, she would steal the show from Andrea Horwath.

I don't think that the Ontario Liberal Party will choose a new leader for at least a few years. Freeland is definitely a good pick from what I've seen of her to date. She is multi-lingual and would appeal to many 905ers.

[SteelTown]

Wasn't Eddie Francis interested at one point? He was former Mayor of Windsor.

I think the Liberals would do well with someone young and has extensive municipal knowledge.