Bonnie Crombie made her pitch to Liberal delegates on Saturday, calling for unity and support as she faces a leadership vote at the party’s weekend convention in Toronto.
Crombie’s leadership has been called into question following the result of the provincial election in February. While the Liberals were able to regain party status for the first time in seven years and picked up 30 per cent of the popular vote, Crombie herself was not able to win her own seat in Mississauga, where she served as the city’s mayor for a decade. An internal document also concluded their campaign’s focus on health care and a family doctor shortage did not resonate with voters, who were more focused on affordability.
In her speech to delegates, Crombie turned her focus to affordability and economic fairness. She has also said she’ll take accountability for the defeat but by making changes instead of stepping down.
“After seven years of Doug Ford, ask yourself: Are Ontarians getting that fair shot? That’s why this weekend matters, that’s why this moment matters, because together we are rebuilding, we are refocusing, and we are getting ready,” she said.
“Rebuild, refocus and ready. Those aren’t just words on a banner; they are our roadmap,” Crombie went on to say, pledging to be the party that becomes a real alternative to Premier Doug Ford.
The Liberal constitution says Crombie needs 50 per cent plus one to stay on as leader, but Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith and a grassroots group known as The New Leaf Liberals are calling for her to resign if she receives anything less than 66 per cent support.
Crombie would say what she will do if she does not receive two-thirds support, saying only she was “very confident” about this weekend’s results and that she looks forward to “remaining on as leader.”
The results of the leadership vote are expected to be known on Sunday afternoon.
