Bonnie Crombie Steps Down as Ontario Liberal Leader Amid Party Turmoil
It was quite the dramatic day in Ontario politics, and it all centered around Bonnie Crombie, the now-former leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. After months of speculation about her future and pressure building within her own ranks, Crombie announced she would resign as leader, leaving the party in a state of uncertainty.
The announcement came as a surprise because just hours earlier, Crombie had insisted she was planning to stay on. She had survived a mandatory leadership review vote at the party’s annual general meeting, but the support she received was shaky at best — just 57 percent from the 2,400 delegates who cast ballots. While technically a majority, it was far from the two-thirds backing her critics had set as the standard to prove her strength. Crombie herself admitted, when she faced the crowd, that the result was “not the number I wanted.”
Behind the scenes, tensions were boiling. Reports say Crombie met with her caucus after the vote and was faced with what’s been described as a “revolt.” Some of her own 14 MPPs were unwilling to continue backing her and even threatened to sit as Independents if she stayed. That left Crombie in an almost impossible position. Without the loyalty of her caucus, she had little choice but to step aside.
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In her resignation statement, Crombie explained that while she appreciated the support she did receive, she believed an orderly transition would be best for the party. She promised to remain in place until a new leader is chosen but made it clear she was listening to the concerns of her colleagues and her family.
Premier Doug Ford even weighed in, thanking Crombie for her years of service and acknowledging the personal sacrifices that come with politics.
For the Liberals, this moment is both a setback and an opportunity. Under Crombie, the party regained official status in the legislature and earned its best vote share in over a decade, though it still fell short of toppling Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. Now, with a provincial election not expected until 2029, the Liberals have some time to regroup and find new leadership.
Speculation about successors is already flying, with names like Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Adil Shamji, Ted Hsu, and even former federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains being floated. Whoever takes the reins will have the difficult task of uniting a divided party and convincing Ontarians that the Liberals are once again a government-in-waiting.
For Bonnie Crombie, the chapter as Liberal leader closes much sooner than expected, but her impact — both as a spark for renewal and as a reminder of the challenges of political leadership — will linger in the party for years to come.
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