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Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
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Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
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Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
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Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
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Who’s in and who’s out in the race to be the next Liberal leader. There’s a ton of reaction to our scoop on the “palace coup.” But before we dig in, one caucus member dialed me up to give his side of the story.
“It’s not true,” said Rob Cerjanec, who called to insist no push to oust Bonnie Crombie ever took place.
For the most part, Cerjanec pointed to the caucus’s statement. “We are grateful too that Bonnie asked caucus for our input and there was no revolt,” they wrote. “This was Bonnie’s decision, and we admire Bonnie’s courage to do the right thing and put her party and her team first.”
Recall: According to several sources with knowledge of what led to her exit, Cerjanec was in on a revolt, orchestrated by Stephen Blais, to force Crombie’s exit. Within an hour of Crombie’s speech, Blais sent word through John Fraser that some were ready to leave caucus if she held on. In the end, it was that threat that forced the beleaguered Liberal leader to resign on Sunday night.
He disputed it. “I never said I would leave caucus,” Cerjanec said.
He also denied that Tom Allison and Alexis Levine met with caucus, where they asked for their unanimous endorsement of Crombie, ahead of her meeting with them. “There was no request for unanimous support. There was no Tom, nor Alexis,” he explained.
Another caucus member, speaking privately, said Allison hadn’t met with caucus in over a year, while Levine had only met with them a few times during the post-election transition.
The reaction: Sources say caucus’s reaction is only natural. Their statement, according to two, was just about signaling unity.
“Bullshit,” one said. “100 per cent bullshit. There was a ’revolt.’ They’re doing damage control.”
“If I was advising them, that’s the statement I’d tell them to put out,” a second added. “Why admit it? If all 14 of them say we didn’t push her out, there’s no way to prove them wrong.”
“Amateur hour,” said a third.
Also in Liberal land, there’s been no shortage of reaction to our “Shakespearean” story, as one ex-MPP put it.
The highlights:
— “The revolt talk is not helpful to Bonnie’s legacy is the nicest way I can put it,” one operative texted. “I wish Bonnie the best. She should have resigned on election day.”
— “It was a total shitshow that I’m glad I wasn’t a part of,” a second said, accusing Crombie’s team of a “regicide.” “To have 200 delegates who paid to be at the convention not show up? That would’ve put her over 70 per cent.”
— “Nate got 48 per cent two years ago. He was always going to be able to get 35 to 45 per cent of the vote,” added a third. “She needed to be able to say ‘I want a de-facto leadership race to get a larger result than the last time.’”
— “Leadership needed to come from the top and it never did,” another said. “Then, incompetent people were put in places they should not have been and the problems grew exponentially.”
— A pro-’yes’ organizer texted: “Her inner circle is still looking for the wrong excuses — whether delegates showed up or the timing of her speech — instead of substantially acknowledging that the grassroots voted for change in spite of an intimidating campaign from central. At a certain point, you have to recognize that the sum of your actions lost the room. If anything, the organizing her team did may have kept her from falling below 50 per cent.”
“Anyone who wants to split hairs over small potatoes to avoid talking about the elephant in the room — the loud, organized ’yes’ campaign from the grassroots of the party – is not equipped for the job of building a party that can defeat Doug Ford,” they added.
— “Very funny,” wrote one delegate. “Crombie was leader for over two years but all she needed was one more speech to win over her detractors.”
— “People who voted against Bonnie were on Bonnie’s delegate list. 400 who paid never showed up. Who paid their fees? Surely not them,” another said.
— “I look forward to the coming weeks as Team Crombie begins to throw one another under the bus,” Nokha Dakroub added.
— “This is wild,” wrote Greg MacEachern.
Those across the aisle, meanwhile, are milking it.
— Mitch Heimpel, an ex-Ford government chief, wrote: “I don’t know whether the Liberal caucus revolted on Bonnie Crombie. But if they did, they shouldn’t have backed away from it. They should have owned it, proudly. Because we need more of this in our politics. A lot more.”
— Before the story even landed, Erin Morrison took a swipe: “They’re going into a leadership contest that a majority of their party doesn’t want.”
— So too did Laryssa Waler, who said she’d “fully support” Crombie staying on. “Bonnie Crombie’s about-face — declaring she’d stay after securing just 57 per cent and then quitting by news release — sums up a party that can’t stick to a plan or message.”
— The House is back in October.
— Here’s what’s up on the fundraising trail this week:
— Save the date: The Next Campaign Summit is set for January 15 at The Carlu in Toronto.
— What we’re watching: The NDP will host their big convention in Niagara this weekend. Marit Stiles is up for her own leadership review.
All eyes are on what percentage Stiles will post. Most expect her to sail through. Some, though, worry a weak showing could bruise her control.
“I feel like it’ll be exactly the same story with Marit’s team,” one source said, noting what they viewed as weak organizing and pointing to Crombie’s failed leadership review.
[Stiles’ team] is convinced she will have a good number,” they added. There’s no way Marit will come close to Andrea Horwath. They should be organizing to beat Andrea’s number, not to simply cruise on by.”
Aside from Stiles’ leadership, another hinted organized labour and Palestine could drive the real convention drama.
What the strategist is saying: “Stiles will sail through her leadership review, without a doubt. She’s well-liked in the party and really [showed up] Bonnie Crombie when it comes to holding Ford to account,” Erin Morrison said.
Scheduled to speak: Don Davies, Jared Walker, Ricardo Tranjan, Carolyn Whitzman, Laura Walton, Wab Kinew, Tanya Talaga, Carla Beck, Elizabeth Oh, Will O’Connor, Arielle Swernoff, Jen Hassum, Saman Tabasinejad, David Mastin and more.
— Back in Liberal land: It may be early, but Crombie’s exit has some would-be successors on the prowl.
Those weighing a run are Jeff Lehman, Yvan Baker, Nate Erskine-Smith, Karina Gould, Andrew Boozary, Marco Mendicino, Navdeep Bains, Adil Shamji, Rob Cerjanec and Ted Hsu. The list rom Global.
John Fraser is “being encouraged” to run. So too is Stephanie Bowman, who we’re told is giving it thought.
Where does Team Crombie land? Those we’ve spoken to describe four factions on Team Crombie — Team Tom Allison, Team Darryn McArthur, Team Genevieve Tomney and D’arci McFadden and Team Sandra Jensen — with no guarantee they’ll align. The agreement, such as it is: “Anyone But Nate.”
“I would argue Nate has it harder now than before,” one source said.
— Union drama: LiUNA has exited the Ontario Federation of Labour.
“We will return when the Ontario Federation of Labour starts treating private sector unions fairly as opposed to favoring public sector unions to the detriment of LiUNA,” director Joseph Mancinelli said.
Context: “LiUNA has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Skills Development Fund program. Including the union’s local branches, the Ford government has given over a dozen Skills Development Fund grants to LiUNA.” Read up.
— Farewell, Freeland: Doug Ford’s “therapist” is out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and won’t run in the next federal election.
“I am not leaving to spend more time with my family or because the burden of elected office is too heavy to bear,” she wrote. “For me and for my wonderful husband and children, public service has been a privilege and not a sacrifice.” Here’s her statement.
— More red ink: “The province’s real GDP growth is projected to slow to 0.9 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent next year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs, says the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, released Wednesday. However, between 2027 and 2029, as the provincial economy adjusts to the tariff impact, the FAO projects GDP growth will return to its average long-term trend of 1.9 per cent per year.” More from CBC.
— Tunnel talk: Premier Ford may want it deemed a Major Project, but James Maloney says the tunnel under the 401 is still “only an idea.” “He demurred and let out a small chuckle. When asked for his thoughts on the project itself, Maloney again let out a small chuckle and likened it to “talking about something that doesn’t exist.” iPolitics has it.
— Big pharmacist: “Ontario residents could soon get prescriptions for 14 more health issues from a pharmacist, rather than a family doctor, under new regulations proposed by the province, but the Ontario Medical Association says the expansion could put patients at risk.” CBC digs in.
— “The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.” Read on from Global.
— Bye bye, speed cam: “Vaughan councillors voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Mayor Stephen Del Duca on Monday, ending the use of speed cameras, which were put in use in April.” More.
— A Calandra cut: “Ontario’s education minister has instructed licensed daycare providers to immediately prevent the use of parking spaces directly adjacent to child-care facilities…”
Speaking of, some on X point out that while he’s moving to axe school board trustees, Calandra himself has yet to submit his own financial statements from the February election. Shade!
— Trustee Weidong Pei says he’s on board with the Ford government’s overhaul of the system: “I believe not only that supervision is not a threat, but that relieving us of our duties is the only way to bring accountability back to a school board that has been failing students and families for far too long.”
— So too is the Globe and Mail’s editorial board.
— Martin Regg Cohn argues Marit Stiles’ NDP has big enough problems without creating more for itself.
— Joseph Angolano on the weekend that was in Liberal land.
— Crombie’s successor will inherit a party with more money, greater prominence, and an energized base, John Michael McGrath says.
— Laryssa Waler says voters actually like Doug Ford.
— Ford is Exhibit A of absolute popularity, Regg Cohn wrote.
— Who’d make a good Liberal leader? Robyn Urback says Ford would be perfect.
— TY, Bonnie: “My deep gratitude to Bonnie Crombie for both her leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party and her many years of dedicated public service,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I want to wish Bonnie all the best in her next chapter,” Premier Doug Ford wrote.
“Leadership is never easy, and as women in politics, we face unique challenges and scrutiny,” added NDP leader Marit Stiles.
— Noted: Absent from the convention was Karen McCrimmon, dealing with a personal issue.
— Kim Wright snacking on popcorn at the Liberal AGM.
— Graham McGregor, too, crashed the AGM.
— Picked up: A rumour that PC MPP Natalie Pierre could resign, triggering a by-election in Burlington. Pierre was missing at this week’s Plowing Match, too. She hadn’t planned to run again, yet Pierre went for it.
— Happy Lobbyversary to Kim Wright, who is celebrating 20 years in the lobbying trenches.
“Today, I’m lifting my “NIMBY Tears” mug to toast the first twenty years. Thank you for the memories and here’s to all the Lobby-versaries still to come,” she wrote.
— In Grassie: At the annual International Plowing Match in Lindsay, Ford and Stiles on the ploughs. Bonnie Crombie was a no-show.
— Seen: A man calling out the Liberal caucus. “Rob Cerjanec went over to the guy to try to talk. The guy wouldn’t,” one witness recounted.
— The Ontario Liberal Party has a new executive council. Here’s Crombie taking a picture with them.
— Over in Mississauga: In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Danny Singh says he’s been “threatened with a fake lawsuit” by Alvin Tedjo and Natalie Hart. “[They] want to continue the corrupt Bonnie Crombie legacy of hiding things and raising taxes…” Singh fell to Hart in a council race last year.
— Ana Bailao is the new CEO of Build Canada Homes. From the announcement: “We are bringing together government, industry, and communities to build homes faster, smarter, and more sustainably. We’re not just building units — we’re building opportunity, dignity, and a future where everyone in Canada has access to the homes they need — and deserve.” Read.
— Congratulations: Blackbird Strategies’ Erica Wallis tied the knot over the weekend.
The Gilmour family is growing: “There are so many ways to create a loving family. We’ve been blessed to build ours through adoption,” posted NDP MPP Alexa Gilmour.
— In memoriam: An obituary for Mitch Sadowski, the ex-Progressive Conservative caucus’ Director of Multimedia Services.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader? Bonnie Crombie v. Carolyn Parrish, anyone? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. See you on Monday.
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