Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie “did the right thing” by announcing her resignation, according to the party’s caucus, which expressed concerns that her continued presence would have served as a “distraction.”
While 57 per cent of Liberal delegates voted for Crombie to continue as leader at the party’s annual general meeting in Toronto on Sunday, the lack of overwhelming support forced her to step down from the position and trigger another leadership race.
“I think, personally, she had a higher number in her head,” said Liberal Party President Kathryn McGarry. “She didn’t share what that was, but she did some more reflection and processed the information and then came up with a different result at the end of that day.”
John Fraser, who has twice served as the interim leader of the party, said Crombie experienced “one of the most difficult times you can go through as a political leader,” but said she made the right decision.
“She did the right thing. She put her party, her team, and the people of Ontario first because she knew that 57.5 would be a distraction,” Fraser said.
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Her resignation was met with sympathy from Premier Doug Ford and other leaders who refused to take political shots at their opponent.
“I just wish her all the best,” Ford said. “It’s a big sacrifice. You know, she put herself out there. It’s a big sacrifice to her family and her friends.”
The race to replace Crombie, however, began shortly after she announced her resignation. Candidates have already begun quietly setting up campaign teams, fielding phone calls from supporters and preparing campaign announcements.
“We’re expecting a robust race, already getting some people that are jumping in enthusiastically,” McGarry said. “I’ve had a couple of letters already from people who are looking at putting their name forward.”
McGarry said a leadership election date won’t be revealed for a few more weeks as the party works to “iron out the details.”
“We have to pull a group together, look at the rules of procedure, and decide on how that’s going to look. That’s going to take some weeks. And then once we have decided on all of the details, the executive council will then approve the rules of procedure, and we’ll go from there,” McGarry said.
Crombie, meanwhile, will continue to receive a party paycheque — $185,000 in 2024 — a decision that’s being defended by stalwarts.
“Yes,” Fraser said when asked whether the salary was appropriate, highlighting Crombie’s increased vote share, seat count and fundraising during the last election.
“There’s a lot of work to do, but the funding floor and the fundamentals for those people looking to run for leadership is pretty darn good.”
