Mike Schreiner says he's thinking about running for leader of Ontario Liberals
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner has indicated he may cross the floor and run to lead the provincial Liberal Party after a group of 40 members reached out in a public letter over the weekend.
Over the last few months Schreiner—who was the first Green Party MPP to be elected in Ontario in 2018—has been combatting rumours that he will run for leadership of the opposing party.
But in a statement released Monday, he indicates it may be a possibility.
“As you know, I have always said that I have no ambition to lead any party other than the Ontario Green Party. Yesterday I received a serious letter from people who expressed concerns I share about the current government and the need for urgent action on the climate crisis,” Schreiner said. “They have reached out across party lines in a unique way in the spirit of doing politics differently.”
“So, I’m going to ask people to give me time to think about their arguments.”
- MORE: Who is Mike Schreiner?
Schreiner added that he hopes to talk to his constituents and get more feedback before making a decision. He also reiterated that he remains focused on representing those constituents and “working with people in the fight to protect the Greenbelt.”
The statement comes a day after 40 Liberals wrote a letter to Schreiner over the weekend in which they take an “unprecedented step to reach outside our ranks” in an effort to find a leader.
“Our party needs to rediscover a politics of purpose and principle. We need to reach out to a new generation of voters. We need to open up to new people and new ideas and to embrace the kind of energy and enthusiasm that is driving grassroots activism and engagement across the province,” the letter reads.
“And that’s why we’re turning to you.”
The letter cites Schreiner’s “strong principle-based approach” and ability to “motivate activists” as some of the reasons why he would make a good candidate for leader.
“We know what kind of future we want for our children and grandchildren,” the letter reads.
“We are ready to roll up our sleeves and make it happen. But we need a leader to guide us there. We believe that you can be such a leader.”
The Ontario Liberal Party has been without a permanent leader since its devastating loss during the June 2022 elections. Veteran MPP for Ottawa South John Fraser has taken the helms as interim leader until a successor has been chosen.
The Liberals are taking their time to find the right person, they said, and are set to launch consultations on the leadership election process shortly.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.