Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Q+A — Many know her as the hospital executive. Fewer know her as a rugby player.
But for Lee Fairclough, rugby and politics are more connected than you might think. “What’s important is working as a team and understanding what you can achieve through hard work — but also having the ability to reflect when something doesn’t go the way you expected, learn from it, and keep going,” she said in an interview.
Fairclough has already put that mindset to work in politics. In 2022, the former president of St. Mary’s General Hospital ran but lost narrowly in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Three years later, she ran again, defeating Christine Hogarth, the Progressive Conservative incumbent.
Now, as the Liberals get ready to pick their third leader in eight years, Fairclough says she wants to build on her own win across the province — and is “very seriously considering” a run for Liberal leader to do just that.
Here, she dished on what’s drawing her in, the importance of having a seat, her Etobicoke-Lakeshore win, and who she's keeping close — or not. Also: her Team Canada past.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity:
Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? “I’m very seriously considering a run. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people, given some of my past leadership experience and the fact that we were able to mount a campaign immediately and win a Conservative seat here. I think a lot of Liberals feel it’s important for the new leader to start with a seat. Based on that, I’m very seriously considering a run.”
We’re looking at February before we hear anything about the race’s rules and timelines. A lot of Liberals I’ve spoken to say they don’t understand why this has taken so long. What’s your take? “I feel it’s important that we get moving as a party to find a leader and to ensure that leader can get started on day one in our preparation — preparation that’s needed to do very well in the next election and, even between now and then, to ensure we’re holding the government to account. One of the things I’ve seen since arriving at Queen’s Park is just how important a strong opposition is in holding the government to account. I trust that there are people working hard right now to ensure we have a good and fair race. I’m hearing from Liberals that they’d like to see this get moving and come to an outcome — hopefully within this year — on who that leader will be, and I agree.”
Do you have a preference for a shorter or longer race? Some candidates want it to go long; others want it wrapped up fast. “As I’ve said, I think it’s important to listen to the members. It’s good that a survey was done, and what people are saying is that they’d like to see this race come to a conclusion within this year — and I agree with that. Regardless of whether you’re a candidate, you can have all kinds of preferences, but our number one job is to think about what the party needs and what we need to do so we can serve Ontario better. I think having an outcome by the end of this year would help us do that very effectively, especially with a leader who can start on day one.”
You’ve talked about what the party needs, so let’s dig into that a bit. What does it actually need to do to be ready for the next election? “I think the party needs to continue rebuilding, and I’ve actually been quite heartened. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling over the last few months — and last summer as well, through my critic roles — and what’s been good to see is the interest and enthusiasm of local volunteers and communities, with local Liberals really looking to rebuild in their areas. Giving those local Liberals a compelling leader, and giving them the support they need so they can continue that rebuilding work, is really critical.”
“I come back to the experience in my own riding, because this is exactly what happened for us. I was the president of a hospital, I reached a breaking point and didn’t want to stand by any longer, so I resigned and ran in a short campaign in 2022. It was a seven-week campaign, and we lost by a small margin. After that, my local riding association said, ‘Lee, we’d love for you to run again.’ And I said, whether it’s me or another candidate, we need to start rebuilding as Liberals in this riding so we’re prepared for the next election. And that’s what we did. Many of those volunteers were new, they learned the skills we needed to campaign, and we got to work. We were at events, we were fundraising, we were out in the community. When Ford decided to call an election 18 months early, we were ready. We’d already been knocking on doors as a team well before that.”
“I share that story because, as I talk to Liberals across Ontario, they see there are very pragmatic things we need to do as a party to rebuild and grow that level of support. That work needs to be paired with a clear vision for where Ontario should be, how people in Ontario can be better served by their government, and confidence that we have the ability to deliver on that vision. That’s how I see it. There’s work to do to modernize the party and the systems we use, but politics is about people, and politics is about connecting at a local level. Our experience in Etobicoke-Lakeshore is exactly the kind of example we need to see replicated across the province.”
Does the leader need a seat to do that work, though? “It’s been eight years since we had a Liberal leader with a seat in the Legislature. We’ve tried it twice. I look at the gains we made in the last election, but I think it’s important that the leader be able to go toe to toe with Doug Ford in the Legislature every day, and that the leader be very in touch with perspectives from across Ontario and bring those perspectives into the Legislature. This time, I do think it’s important that there be someone in caucus with leadership experience who has a seat and can start on day one. It would be an advantage for that person not to have to rely on a by-election or the next general election to win a seat — and that’s an advantage for the party as a whole.”
There's been a ton of speculation about who's involved in your campaign, and I'm hoping you can weigh in. For example, there's been talk that Tom Allison is running your campaign, and that Milton Chan is also involved. Can you walk us through who's actually on the team, and how it's coming together? “Tom Allison is not directly involved in my campaign at this time, nor is Milton Chan. I’m looking to build a team, but I also want to say that there are many people in this party who bring tremendous experience and expertise that we can never ignore. Johanna Leffler worked with me on my campaign in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has been with me at Queen’s Park, and has been helping me get my organization started.
That said, I really want this campaign to be about the next generation of leaders. In my past life as an executive, it was always important to think about who your successor would be — that’s the job of a leader. Who is your successor, and how do you support them in developing and gaining those skills? I’m looking to do the same in this campaign. I’m looking for a campaign manager for whom this may be their first leadership campaign. They may have worked on leadership campaigns before, but I’m willing to take that chance. I’m not sure where the rumours came from. I have a great deal of respect for people like Tom and Milton, who have led leadership campaigns in this party for many years. But for my campaign, I’m looking to build and empower that next generation.”
Are you worried about your ability to fundraise? “Fundraising, in particular, was something my eyes were opened to very quickly in 2022. I’ve seen that when you’re compelling and when you can relate to people, the funding follows. It really comes down to who you are and who you are as a potential candidate — and, in this case, as a leader. Fundraising is a necessary part of the job, and I do have a plan for how we’ll raise the funds. That starts with being a compelling leadership option for people.”
A message from Bayview Strategies:
Navigate Queen’s Park with confidence. Bayview Strategies is a specialized boutique government relations firm led by a former advisor to more than just one party — differentiating us from the others. We leverage deep insider experience to connect your business to decision-makers, delivering the ideas and impact that help you scale. Learn more.
Let’s step back from leadership for a second. Almost a year in, how are you liking the job? “I’m loving the job. You know, people often ask me this question — what’s so special about being an MPP? And the fact that communities put their trust in me to represent them, I feel, is very important work. I really appreciate that support, and I take it quite seriously. You also get to know your community at an entirely different level. I’ve lived in my riding for 25 years, and I’m learning so many new things about it now that I’m in this position. I’m also inspired by the fact that people are engaging because they believe in things. And that’s part of the reason I resigned from a job I loved to run in the first place. It’s been a great learning curve. The legislature is very different. I remember walking over to Tyler Watt and said, ‘Boy, we’re not at the hospital anymore, are we?’ It’s a very, very different kind of work — particularly in the legislature — but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the learning that comes with something brand new, and learning about every topic under the sun.”
You ran a hospital for nearly two decades. What does that experience give you in a leadership race — and as the leader of the party? “As a hospital executive for 18 years in the health-care system, probably the most important skill I developed was the ability to achieve things as a team — to lead that team, but also to trust, listen, and form a direction together. I think that whether it’s leading a caucus — and partisan politics is a team sport — or doing the work we need to do as a party across the entire province, my experience as an executive will help me do that. The other thing I would say is that I do have depth of knowledge in health care and health-care policy, but what I’ve also come to appreciate since arriving here is my knowledge of public finances — how public finances work and how they can be used to stimulate the economy. More generally, I’ve realized that I have a broader base of knowledge that’s transferable across many areas government manages.”
I asked Rob Cerjanec this question, and I’m curious what your response would be. You lost a leader within your first six months, and I’m wondering what that whole episode — leadership review and all — was like for you. “Yeah, I think we probably didn’t anticipate that we’d be heading into another leadership race right now, but this is where we are. From my perspective, since the day I arrived at Queen’s Park — and especially since that transition happened — I’ve tried to do my part as a member of caucus to help us continue to build and grow. All of us have committed to getting out and supporting other ridings and the work they’re doing, and to bringing the perspectives we each have to our team effort here in caucus. We’re in this situation, and we need to move forward from it. I’m very committed to what we’re trying to do for the people of Ontario — that’s why I ran in the first place. And I think all of us in this 14-member caucus have been committed to that.”
Go on. “I grew up in a small town — Southampton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. If we’re really going to make a difference for people across Ontario, it has to be for everyone in Ontario. Every day when I’m in the Legislature, I think about issues from the perspective of my own constituents, but I also hear policy ideas and ask what impact they would have had on the town I grew up in and the people living there.”
What’s one thing people don’t usually know about you? “A lot of people are surprised to hear that I played rugby. Many see me as someone who’s worked in health care, a mom of teenage kids — and then they hear this and do a double take.
I’ll tell you a funny story. I was at an event in a rural community, and a woman came up to meet me. She said, ‘I wanted to come and meet you, Lee, and hear what you had to say. I hear you might be running for leader, but my husband told me to tell you that as soon as he heard you played rugby for Canada, that was enough for him. You’re tough enough.’
Wait, hold on — for Team Canada? “I was a competitive swimmer through my varsity years, and then I turned to rugby. I ended up playing at the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam. So, yeah — that reaction you just had is usually the same one I get.”
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you running for Liberal leader — or “strongly considering,” as they say? Managing a campaign? Reach out. I’ll keep you anonymous, the way I do with those sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.