Bonnie Crombie was elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP), receiving 53.4% of the vote on the third ballot. Crombie, who currently serves as Mayor of Mississauga, takes over from John Fraser who concludes his second stint as Interim Leader.
A total of 22,827 members cast ballots in the leadership election from a total membership of 103,206. While voter turnout was just 23%, this leadership was the OLP’s first under the one member, one vote system.
The Ontario Liberals currently hold nine of Ontario’s 124 seats and are at a significant resource disadvantage as it stands. Crombie raised more than $1 million during the race, more than double any other candidate, which helped present her as an immediate asset to the party’s revival.
Crombie faced off against MPs Yasir Naqvi and Nate Erskine-Smith, and MPP Ted Hsu. She ran on big tent centrism, with the promise that she could bring disillusioned Conservative voters into the fold. Crombie’s policy agenda, however, was more aligned with traditional Liberal values.
Crombie will face Premier Doug Ford and NDP Leader Marit Stiles in the next election, scheduled for June 4, 2026.
Crombie’s major policy proposals include the following:
- Introducing universal access to mental healthcare under OHIP and implement a youth mental health strategy
- Guaranteeing home care for seniors and implementing all of the Long-Term Care recommendations from the Ombudsman
- Creating a centralized referral system to connect doctors and patients
- Reducing class sizes
- Doubling annual investments to clear the education infrastructure repair backlog
- Boosting the Ontario Job Creation Investment Tax Credit
- Cutting corporate tax rates on manufacturers of zero emissions technologies
- Creating a food and water belt, while building in more protections for the Greenbelt
- Accelerating the rollout of EV charging infrastructure
- Changing the Ontario Building Code to build more missing-middle housing
- Phasing in rent controls
- Mandating that at least 20% of provincial surplus land sold must be for long-term affordable housing
- Providing funding to municipalities for emergency rent banks
- Strengthening the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
- Expediting Ontario Northland passenger rail service
Prior to becoming Mayor in 2014, Crombie served as a Mississauga City Councillor, and previous to that, as Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville. Before entering public service, Crombie enjoyed a twenty-year career in business.
Crombie has an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business and earned a Corporate Director’s Certificate from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management. She attended St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, earning an Honours Bachelor of Arts in political science and international relations. Crombie also studied French immersion at the Paris Sorbonne University.
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