What’s Next for the Ontario Liberal Party After Bonnie Crombie’s Resignation?

Bonnie Crombie resigns after a failed leadership review. On The Ledge panel asks: why did she step down, and who will lead the Ontario Liberals next?
In this bonus episode of On The Ledge – your Ontario politics podcast makes a special appearance on Newstalk 1010 with Moore in the Morning.

OTL Host Dave Trafford, former Premier Kathleen Wynne and former PC leader Tim Hudak, join John Moore to analyze what happened at the Ontario Liberal Party’s AGM, what the failing leadership grade (57%) means for Crombie’s legacy, and what lies ahead for the Liberals. 

Highlights
Kathleen Wynne
•    “There was a tension in the air the whole weekend about what the leadership vote was gonna be. I mean, that was undeniable.”
Tim Hudak
•    “In Bonnie Crombie’s defense, she took the Liberals back into official party status… She rebuilt their fundraising and credit to her.”
Dave Trafford
•    “The folks around Bonnie Crombie… were reading their polling from right to left as opposed to left to right because they just turned the number completely around. Their 75% ended up being 57%.”

What happened to Bonnie Crombie at the Ontario Liberal AGM?
Bonnie Crombie received just 57% support in her leadership review, far below the 70–75% her advisors predicted. By the end of the day, she announced her resignation.
Why did Bonnie Crombie resign?
Crombie acknowledged the leadership review as “a message to me” and decided it was in the party’s best interest to step aside. Kathleen Wynne emphasized it was ultimately Crombie’s decision, not caucus pressure.
What were Bonnie Crombie’s achievements as leader?
•    Restored official party status for the Liberals.
•    Rebuilt fundraising and organizational capacity.
•    Raised membership engagement after years of decline.
Why did Crombie’s leadership fail?
Dave Trafford argued that the problem was not only Crombie’s performance but also “a sense of unpreparedness around the Liberal campaign” and weak organizational support. Tim Hudak noted Crombie’s defeat in Mississauga sealed her fate against Doug Ford’s stronghold.
What’s next for the Ontario Liberals?
The panel agreed the party needs a leader with a seat in the Legislature to challenge Doug Ford directly. Potential names include:
•    Adil Shamji and Mary-Margaret McMahon from the current caucus.
•    Federal figures like Karina Gould or Nav Bains were mentioned as possible contenders.

TRANSCRIPT