Marit Stiles officially confirmed as Ontario NDP leader by majority vote
Marit Stiles officially became the new leader of the Ontario NDP on Saturday after a majority of party members voted in favour of the lone candidate.
The party confirmed Stiles through a leadership vote at an event in downtown Toronto, making her the leader of the Official Opposition in the legislature.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"Today we start the countdown to the end of Doug Ford's disastrous government and the beginning of a bright new future for Ontario," Stiles said of the sitting premier in a speech to party supporters following the official declaration of her position at the party helm.
Stiles, who has been a New Democrat member of provincial parliament since 2018, was the only person to run for the leadership. She represents the Toronto riding of Davenport, served for years as the party's education critic, and has previously been a school trustee and president of the federal NDP.
She has said her focus after being elected leader will be on defeating Ford and his Progressive Conservative government in the next provincial election, which is expected to take place in 2026.
Ford congratulated Stiles for becoming leader on Twitter, stating he's "looking forward to working with her and all of Team Ontario as we build our future."
But an Ontario PC Party statement released following Stiles' confirmation ridiculed her as "Leader of the Party of No."
"With Marit Stiles being confirmed as the leader of the NDP, Ontario is getting more of the same," the statement reads.
"While our PC team will continue to move forward with our ambitious plan to get it done, Marit Stiles will continue to say no every step of the way."
Marit Stiles, incoming leader of the Ontario NDP, provides new information related to the integrity commissioner’s Greenbelt investigation during a press conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto, on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Longtime New Democrat Peter Tabuns had served as interim leader since former leader Andrea Horwath announced her resignation on provincial election night last June.
Stiles thanked Tabuns for stepping up to lead the party and ensuring "there would be no free pass for Conservatives."
Horwath, who was elected mayor of Hamilton in October, had led the NDP since 2009 and saw it rise from third party to official Opposition status in 2018, though the party's seat count decreased in this year's election.
"We are starting on a strong foundation, and we have our former leader Andrea Horwath to thank for that," said Stiles.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Stiles' experience as a school board trustee and education critic have shown she can stand up to, and ultimately defeat, Ford's PC government.
"Marit is the real deal," Singh said. "She is a force for change and she is a leader who will run for Premier of this province and lift us all up."
Stiles was joined on stage at the leadership announcement by Ontario Federation of Labour President Patty Coates, in addition to labour leaders from across the country.
She emphasized that unions and workers are essential to the NDP, as well as the need to build on labour victories in the past year. She specifically cited union pressure that ultimately led the government to repeal a bill that imposed a contract on some of the province's education workers, banned their right to strike and preemptively invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield it from constitutional challenges.
"I want them to expect better, everybody, including unionized workers in this province. I want them to expect more," said Stiles.
"I want them to know that they deserve a government who's not afraid to talk about labour issues, who's not just going to put on a hard hat and safety vest when it's election time and make a lot of promises."
When asked what Stiles had to say to criticism that an NDP majority in the next election was unrealistic, she responded, "They haven't met me yet."
"We're going to win this election, I feel absolutely confident in that and that's because I know how to win."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.