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The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
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The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
Have a team of 5+? Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Reach out.
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The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
Have a team of 5+? Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
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The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
Have a team of 5+? Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
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The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
Have a team of 5+? Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
A message from Texture:
Texture is a battle-tested team of top political communicators and government-relations professionals that put our clients on the frontlines of nation-building. We back up advice with action, support every client like a minister, and move the needle in the media, the boardroom, and with governments. Learn more.
SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
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The Tories have their candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Bonnie Crombie is about to register for Mississauga mayor. Over in Toronto, the ex-mayor is encouraging Chris Alexander to challenge Olivia Chow. The Tories’ go-to pollster is testing AI data centres and the carbon tax.
Plus: Who’s on Team Bains? We’ve got a list of nearly 1,000 campaign “captains.”
Let’s dive in.
SCOOP — In the days before he quit the race for Liberal leader, someone was looking for Rob Cerjanec.
What happened: A week before Cerjanec bowed out of the contest, Brian Klunder, the campaign’s CFO, who had been with Cerjanec since he began exploring a run late last year, resigned for “personal reasons.”
While Klunder declined to comment, sources say he was caught up in an incident involving an individual looking for Cerjanec that has not previously been reported.
Around 3 a.m. the night before he resigned, Klunder received a call from an unknown number. Unable to reach Klunder, the individual sent a text saying that, if the number belonged to Cerjanec, they wanted to speak with him.
Later that morning, a man known to Cerjanec — understood to have been the same individual who called earlier — went to Klunder’s home believing it was Cerjanec’s, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. Because Klunder was serving as the CFO, his home address was listed in Cerjanec’s registration.
“Somebody was looking for Rob,” said one source. “Once the individual realized it wasn’t Rob’s house, he was gone.” The source added: “I don’t think he was there to shake Rob’s hand.”
It could not be independently determined why the man was looking for Cerjanec. However, the sources said the two had been involved in an altercation prior to it. Klunder, whose family was inside the home at the time, immediately contacted Cerjanec, and later resigned.
Behind the scenes, those close to Cerjanec describe the incident as another blow to his beleaguered campaign. By then, the campaign was already in trouble. Cerjanec, who spent months organizing before most of his rivals had even entered the race, struggled to raise money — a challenge he pointed to as the driving force behind his decision to leave the contest.
“Rob outlined that the campaign has raised over $100,000 and made the June payment to the party,” one source said. “But as (the) campaign would be pushing up on the debt ceiling of $50,000, (that would make) it challenging to… run an effective campaign that could win.”
But Cerjanec also told supporters he was “dealing with some personal matters.”
Cerjanec says: In a statement, the former leadership candidate did not address the incident, instead calling public life “incredibly taxing.”
“I made this decision in part due to a range of campaign matters and personal issues, so that I can better uphold my responsibilities to the people of Ajax and spend time with family members I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Asked whether it had been made aware of the incident, Legislative Protective Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile: Liberal MPP Stephanie Bowman is considering whether to enter the leadership contest. "(I’m) being encouraged to run," Bowman, who co-chaired Cerjanec’s campaign, texted Sunday, acknowledging that she has been sounding out support. At least one caucus member is already cheering the idea on.
Seen: Bowman appeared at Sunday’s leadership event at the Guild Inn Estate in Scarborough. “Over 450 registrants! Good food, good vibes and good speeches,” one person said. Missing: Navdeep Bains, who said “dad duties called.”
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SCOOP — Who’s who on Team Bains — The campaign has built out a network of close to 1,000 "captains" to recruit new members. We’ve got an internal list, and there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
Among them: Patty Hajdu, Gary Anandasangaree, Ahmed Hussen, Karina Gould, Mona Fortier, Rechie Valdez, Evan Solomon, Ruby Sahota, Shafqat Ali, Iqra Khalid, Ali Ehsassi, Salma Zahid, Iqwinder Gaheer, Anita Vandenbeld, Maninder Sidhu, Sonia Sidhu, Chris Bittle, Leslie Church, Arielle Kayabaga, Jean Yip, Ryan Turnbull, Peter Fragiskatos, Tim Louis, Mark Gerretsen, Marco Mendicino, Maryam Monsef, Mark Holland, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, Arif Virani, Omar Alghabra, Jennifer O’Connell, Tony Van Bynen, Francesco Sorbara, Marc Serré, Paul Chiang, Lloyd Longfield, Kamal Khera, Irek Kusmierczyk, Don Rusnak and more.
Plus: Brad Duguid, Glen Thibeault, Balbir Sidhu and Dave Levac. Mark Sakamoto, the executive vice-president at Think Research who was considering his own run for Liberal leader, is also organizing for Bains.
Add: From Justin Trudeau’s former team (cue Stephen Lecce’s “Trudeau 2.0”), there is: Elder Marques, Zita Astravas, Tyler Meredith and his photographer, Adam Scotti.
Mike Burton, who worked on Mark Carney’s leadership campaign before serving as campaign director for the Alberta NDP, is also on Team Bains.
So is Chad Walsh, who co-managed Bonnie Crombie’s campaign in the last provincial election, and Fahim Khan, who served as her policy director. Also listed: Blue Knox, who ran Mike Crawley’s would-be campaign.
Add three: Former Toronto mayor John Tory and his son, John Tory Jr., are also organizing for Bains. So is Alvin Tedjo, who’s running for Mississauga mayor. (Bains organized against Crombie during her leadership review.)
Update: Knox says she isn’t involved with any leadership campaign, while a spokesperson for Tedjo says “Alvin is not supporting, organizing for, or endorsing anyone in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race, and he has no intention of doing so.” “He has also not directed any campaign staff or volunteers to do so. Alvin has not been meeting with Ontario Liberal Party candidates either.”
— The House is on summer break. If you’re keeping score: T-15 weeks until the fall session.
Also happening:
Speaking of the Beaches: John Tory Jr. is no longer seeking the nomination. “The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me,” he wrote in a statement. He joined his dad on “Moore in the Morning” to explain his decision.
Now: The contest is shaping up to be a two-person race between Tanveer Shahnawaz, Erskine-Smith’s former assistant, and social worker Summer Nudel. Background here.
— Fundraising watch: At 5 p.m., Energy Minister Stephen Lecce will join PC MPP Billy Denault at a $500-a-ticket fundraiser in Westmeath.
At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Vaughan.
Back in Scarborough: Asm Noorullah Tarun is the Tories’ pick in SSW.
Round two: Tarun, a family doctor, was the federal Conservative candidate in 2025, placing second to Bill Blair with 30 per cent support. He beat out social worker Ayesha Sardar and HR manager Gazi Sijan to win the nomination Thursday night.
“He’ll be a strong advocate for Scarborough Southwest as we continue growing our economy, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe from crime,” said Premier Ford. “I know Dr. Tarun will work hard every day to deliver for the people of Scarborough Southwest.”
Seen: The media wasn’t invited, but inside the nomination meeting: Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Graham McGregor, PC MPP Mohamed Firin, Michael Diamond and more.
Outside the plaza, the Liberals parked a digital billboard truck. One sign declared: “While you were paying more for groceries, Doug Ford was using your money to buy himself a $28.9 million private jet.” The Tories called the police on the vehicle.
No hard feelings: Sardar and Sijan joined Tarun on stage following his win. (Ahem, Liberals.)
No time to lose: Tarun’s Ford-featured literature lit is printed (+1 for Marit Stiles, who wants this by-election to be a referendum on the Premier), and he’s already knocking on doors.
What’s next: Ford still has about three weeks before the deadline to call the by-election. With a vote expected in August, the earliest it could be is Aug. 13. Our bet: To give Tarun more time to pound the pavement, Ford could wait until next Wednesday, or the following Wednesday, teeing up an Aug. 20 or Aug. 27 vote.
Keep in mind: Ford is also expected to call a by-election in York Simcoe at the same time. Barring an upset, it’ll give the Tories a win to point to should they lose Scarborough Southwest the same night.
— Noted: One month to go before registration closes for this year’s AMO conference. Get in.
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Butter chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Beef brisket with potatoes and vegetables. Wednesday: Pulled pork mac and cheese with coleslaw. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Chicken and mushroom pot pie with garden salad.
— Tomorrow’s the day: Bonnie Crombie says she’ll enter the race for Mississauga mayor on Tuesday. We’ll spare you the victory lap.
“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate for Mayor of Mississauga. I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together,” she wrote in a message to supporters and councillors on Sunday.
The big picture: It would pit Crombie against Carolyn Parrish this October, bringing full circle a rivalry born out of a heated council contest in 2011. Parrish registered to run for re-election in May, pledging “experience, proven dedication and boundless energy that will serve our city well.” Also in the race: Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In the last by-election, the two competed for many of the same organizers and networks Crombie has long depended on — a divide that worked in Parrish’s favour and that the then-Liberal leader later called “unfortunate.”
Neither side is wasting time. At Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community barbecue on Saturday, Crombie argued Mississauga has “a great team” at City Hall — but said it needs “strong leadership” and “a steady, experienced hand.”
Parrish’s response? A clip from their now-infamous election-night press conference. She wrote: “I agree! I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!”
The preview: “Bonnie will present a clear contrast between her energy and record getting results against the drift under Parrish as a placeholder mayor just occupying the chair rather than delivering a vision for the city,” a source close to Crombie said.
That said: On the ground, Crombie faces a two-front fight: convincing voters her return is about Mississauga, not political ambition, and taking on the “army” Doug Ford has promised to send. Those around the ex-mayor say “she’ll need to put in 120 per cent.” “This will be like 2014. This can’t be a wishy-washy, feel-good campaign. They have to run a really good campaign — not a rah-rah bullshit campaign,” one source previously said.
— Run, Chris, Run: “Former federal Conservative citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander says he’s seriously considering running for Toronto mayor and would run what he describes as a non-partisan campaign, saying he wants to focus on improving core services and strengthening the city’s economy.” More from the Globe.
Sources say: Alexander has been leaning on John Tory, who has been helping him connect with his network. (Tory, for his part, told the Star he had given Alexander advice, as he has other prospective candidates, but isn’t “involved with anyone’s campaign in any way.”)
Alexander was among the names Campaign Research put before respondents last week. It also asked whether Tory should “reconsider and run again,” noting that “there is still time to do so.”
Meanwhile: “Brad Bradford says he’s raised $1.8 million for his Toronto mayoral campaign… Bradford reached the $1.8-million amount in just more than two months — he registered for the Oct. 26 election on May 1, the day nominations opened. He’s already taken in more than twice the $780,000 he raised for his run in the 2023 mayoral by-election…”
— A deadly weekend: “What was supposed to have been a joyful summer dance party was instead a desolate stretch of police tape on Sunday, after two people were shot dead at Salsa on St. Clair the night before, prompting the cancellation of the festival’s second day. The killings were part of a roughly 36-hour stretch of gun violence — three separate shooting incidents across the city that left three men dead and 11 others injured.” The Star has more.
— Tired of tires: “A growing number of Ontario municipalities will no longer accept used tires because an organization tasked with shipping them to recycling depots isn’t clearing the tires out of municipal waste depots fast enough.”
— No strike: “A new deal has been struck for a three-year labour contract between a union representing Canadian autoworkers and Ford Motor Co. The tentative agreement covers roughly 5,000 workers at five plants in southern Ontario, including Windsor Annex and Essex Engine Plants, and one in Alberta.” Canadian Press has more.
— Run again, then run away: A wave of quick resignations has Martin Regg Cohn asking why so many politicians run for re-election only to bail months later.
— John Michael McGrath says the Northern Shield pipeline announcement with Alberta “lacks the basics of a plausible business case, will face substantial opposition, and probably won’t happen.” McGrath’s read: Ford loves announcing the flashy stuff (401 tunnel, now this) while his government’s real priorities — transit expansion, new nuclear — quietly do the actual work.
But Ford writes the pipeline will “make Canada stronger.”
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says it’s “more than about moving oil out east.”
— Meet Newmarket’s "chief positivity officer."
— Noted: A poll by Campaign Research, the Tories’ go-to polling shop, surveyed the public last week on whether the Ford government should increase, keep, reduce or scrap the carbon tax companies pay on greenhouse gas emissions. It asked: “Do you agree or disagree that using (burning) fuels like gasoline, natural gas, and coal are warming the planet and contributing to a changing climate, including more extreme weather.”
Respondents were asked what matters most — and least — for the provincial government over the next two to three years, including whether it should focus on building more AI data centres.
The caveat: While it is unclear if the poll was commissioned by the government, it gauges support for key policy priorities, spin and political foes. Keep in mind: The caucus shelled out close to $1.5 million dollars to the Nick Kouvalis-shop for internal polling in 2024–25, per public receipts.
— Seen: Both Premier Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie took part in Chief Nish Durappah’s annual golf tournament.
Navdeep Bains hit the doors for Ahsanul Hafiz in Scarborough Southwest. Marit Stiles, meanwhile, was out canvassing for Fatima Shaban.
— Vic Handa — who has yet to enter the Liberal leadership race — is out with a campaign-style video on the waterfront: “A public waterfront should serve the public.”
— Hired: Gadi Mayman is now Acting Deputy Minister of Finance. Rob Yeung will serve as CEO of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA). Announcement.
— Only in Ontario politics: Eric Lombardi has picked up a $500 donation from Laryssa Waler. “I’m not looking to comment on it beyond to say I hope he wins the Liberal leadership,” the Premier’s ex-communications director told The Trillium.
— Weekend wedding: Ana Bailão said “I do” at an intimate ceremony over the weekend. Congratulations!
Seen: Rob Cerjanec, Tim Hudak, Deb Hutton, John Tory, Vince Gasparro, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Marion Nader, Keerthana Rang and more.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you looking for Rob Cerjanec? Have a guess when the Premier will draw — er, draw up — the writs? I want to hear from you — and I’ll keep you anonymous, just like the sources you’re asking about. We’re back in your inbox next Monday.
Have a team of 5+? Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.