Next Liberal boss faces tough job, expert says

Ontario party rebuilding after devastating loss

TORONTO • The person tasked with the “back-breaking” job of rebuilding Ontario’s Liberal party will need both strong organizational skills and the ability to adapt to an increasingly unpredictable political landscape, according to experts preparing to watch the party’s leadership race unfold.

The entry deadline for the Ontario Liberal leadership race, set for Monday at 5 p.m., will move the campaign into a key phase ahead of a March 7 convention to select the new party leader.

But the drama of the contest can’t hide the challenge awaiting the person who is ultimately successful — rebuilding a party that governed Ontario for 16 years and is now banished to the political wilderness.

“This is going to be tough and a lot of it is going to be that back-breaking work of going from church basement to literally someone’s living room probably,” said John Milloy, a former provincial Liberal cabinet minister who is now a Wilfrid Laurier University political science professor. “There’s about five per cent glamour and 95 per cent hard work for whoever becomes leader.”

The Ontario Liberal party suffered the worst defeat in its history in 2018, losing official party status and prompting former premier and leader Kathleen Wynne’s resignation. The party also finds itself deeply in debt.

The Liberals took on $10 million debt to help fund their election campaign, reporting earlier this year that $9.3 million of that amount had yet to be paid off.

Former cabinet ministers Steven Del Duca, Michael Coteau and Mitzie Hunter are in the leadership contest, as are former party candidates Kate Graham and Alvin Tedjo.

Milloy said the leadership race, which kicked off in October, has failed to garner much attention so far. He hopes that will change now that the federal election is over.

Western University associate political science professor Cristine de Clercy said the race has already taken an unexpected turn even as it’s played out away from the limelight.

“On paper, (the Liberals) are the party that normally would be best positioned to replace Mr. Ford’s government,” she said. “The Liberal leadership contest ought to be highly competitive. I thought we would see a large field of candidates.”

De Clercy said the $100,000 entry fee and cutoff to sign up new members set for Dec. 2 may have worked against the Liberals.

Mcmaster University political science professor Peter Graefe said the Liberal party will need to address substantive policy issues.

“Ontarians will be looking for more than simply an alternative to Doug Ford,” he said. “They’ll want to hear what the Liberals stand for and it’s not really clear.”