Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner is not ruling out a candidacy for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals.
A group of high-profile Liberals — including former cabinet ministers Deb Matthews and Liz Sandals, and current Liberal caucus member Lucille Collard — released a letter on Sunday urging Schreiner to join the party and run as its leader.
“Our party must rediscover a politics of purpose and principle. We must reach out to a new generation of voters. We must open up to new people and new ideas and embrace the kind of energy and enthusiasm that drives grassroots activism and engagement across the province,” the Liberal group wrote.
“And that’s why we look to you…We believe that your strong, principled approach and ability to connect and motivate activists – especially young people – is exactly what our party and our province have needed. need now.”
Speaking to CBC Radio Subway morning on Tuesday, Schreiner said he was considering the unusual proposal.
“My answer is: give me time to think about it. More importantly, give me the time to consult with people — especially my constituents in Guelph and my friends and colleagues in the green movement and people across the province — on the best way I can move forward to make advance the issues that are close to my heart,” he said.
Schreiner previously dismissed the idea when it was brought up late last year, but he said the letter ‘really challenged’ him to think about how he could ‘work differently’. on issues such as the climate crisis, housing affordability and protecting the Greenbelt.
The Liberal group argued that as Liberal leader, Schreiner would have a broader platform to rally Ontarians opposed to Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government.
“I think I owe it to people to think about it,” Schreiner said. Subway morning.
The party has been without a permanent leader since Steven Del Duca resigned last year following a devastating election defeat – the party’s second consecutive result.
Several Liberals have publicly stated they are considering running for the top job, including MP and former Ontario Cabinet Minister Yasir Naqvi, MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and current Liberal caucus member Ontario Ted Hsu.
Some liberals reject
The letter and the accompanying DraftMike.ca website were not well received by some Liberals.
Erskine-Smith wrote on Twitter that purpose and principle are indeed needed, along with “serious renewal” in the party.
“But we don’t need gimmicks or open letters or Hail Marys,” he wrote. “There is no substitute for hard work and grassroots commitment. We need serious leadership. To change.”
Responding to those comments, Schreiner said Tuesday he viewed the letter as “real outreach” but needed time to consider his options.
Schreiner has been the leader of the Ontario Greens since 2009 and in 2018 won the party’s first seat in the Legislative Assembly.
His performance in the 2022 election debate was widely praised and he is highly regarded in the legislature, but despite the party’s high hopes of winning a second seat in this election, the Greens remain a caucus of one.
Schreiner grew up on a farm in the United States and later moved to Canada with his wife, now residing in Guelph with his family. He said his experience as a small business owner and in the not-for-profit sector helped him develop the skills needed to make the Ontario Greens a “viable party” over the past decade.
“Internet evangelist. Extreme communicator. Subtly charming alcohol aficionado. Typical tv geek.”