Which way is Bonnie Crombie going?

The Ontario Liberal Party’s Executive Council has unanimously supported Bonnie Crombie in continuing as the leader of the Liberal Party.

When Bonnie Crombie took over the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, it was expected that the party would perform well in the election.

However, the results were not very promising.

Bonnie Crombie herself contested in the Mississauga East-Cooksville riding but lost to the Progressive Conservative Party candidate. As a result, she will not be able to participate in any legislative sessions of the provincial parliament. She will have to lead the party from outside the parliament and oppose Premier Doug Ford from outside as well until she can win a seat in a riding.

Not being able to participate in the parliament will remain a major limitation in properly reflecting her leadership.

Opposing the government’s actions is much more effective within the parliament, which is not as impactful outside of it.

There is no doubt that Bonnie Crombie is a good leader. She was a very popular mayor of Mississauga and made remarkable contributions to its development.

Bonnie Crombie was elected as the leader of the Liberal Party in December 2023. Considering this, she did not get much time to establish herself among Ontarians. Doug Ford conducting the election nearly a year earlier than expected also created problems for her. Additionally, not being able to participate in the parliament meant that her leadership was not as visible to Ontarians. The parliament is, in fact, the focal point of leadership.

However, in the election results from February 27, just two days ago, there has been some slight progress under Bonnie Crombie’s leadership.

1. In the 2022 provincial election, the Liberal Party won 7 seats and secured 19.58% of the vote. In this election, the party has won 14 seats. While the Liberal Party remains in third place, it has received nearly 30% of the votes. Around 1.5 million voters cast their votes for the Liberal Party. On the other hand, while the NDP secured second place, only 930,000 Ontarians voted for them, which accounts for 18.5% of the vote. The NDP won 27 seats, which is 13 seats fewer than in the 2022 election.

2. Before this election, the Liberal Party did not have any official status. However, after this election, the party has regained its official status in parliament for the first time in nearly seven years.

Although these achievements are not very significant, there is no room for complacency.

However, it can be hoped that the Liberal Party will perform better in the next election.

Best wishes to my Liberal friends.