Ep. #114: Is the OLP leadership Crombie's to lose?
Nov 24, 2023
auto_awesome
Four candidates for Ontario Liberal leadership, Bonnie Crombie, Nate Erskine-Smith, Yasir Naqvi, and Ted Hsu, discuss the dynamics of the race, potential outcomes, and recent events in Ontario politics, including Doug Ford's controversies. The hosts speculate on the impact of recent events on the liberal leadership race and the next election.
The Ontario Liberal Party's leadership race has been intense, with significant funds raised for the campaign, and the party is feeling confident about rebuilding and regaining relevance.
Despite divisions and a cutthroat nature, the Ontario Liberal Party is expected to unite after the leadership race and present a strong front against Premier Doug Ford, irrespective of the result.
Deep dives
Ontario Liberal Party Leadership Race
The podcast discusses the Ontario Liberal Party's leadership race, highlighting the competition among the candidates and the party's hopes of rebuilding and regaining relevance. The race has been intense, even for a third-place party, but the Liberals are feeling confident and have raised significant funds for their campaign. The Conservatives are also targeting the Liberals, seeing them as the main competitors rather than the official opposition NDP. The one-member, one-vote system adds an element of unpredictability to the race, and the podcast looks forward to the party's future under its new leader.
The Future Unity of the Liberal Party
The podcast explores the potential unity of the Ontario Liberal Party after the leadership race. While there have been divisions and a cutthroat nature to the race, the participants are ultimately all Liberals. The podcast discusses the challenges of uniting the party after the race, especially if there are personal and policy differences between the candidates. However, it is believed that the Liberals will come together and present a united front against Premier Doug Ford, regardless of the result of the leadership race.
The Kitchener Centre By-Election
The podcast highlights the upcoming by-election in Kitchener Centre and the multiple parties vying for the seat. The race is seen as unpredictable, with the former NDP stronghold now up for grabs. The Liberals, Conservatives, and Greens are all actively campaigning, with the Greens hoping for a breakthrough in a seat where they have had support federally. The podcast acknowledges the challenges faced by each party and the potential impact of key factors such as candidate selection and voter turnout.
Public Perception of Doug Ford and the PCs
The podcast acknowledges the ability of Ontario Premier Doug Ford to remain popular and resilient despite various controversies. Ford's opponents have been unable to significantly damage his standing, partly due to other events dominating the media coverage. While uncertainty remains due to ongoing investigations and potential future failures, the podcast suggests that if Ford can deliver on his promises, particularly on addressing the housing crisis, his government may continue to enjoy public support.
This weekend, voting will start for the Ontario Liberal leadership as the contest between Bonnie Crombie, Nate Erskine-Smith, Yasir Naqvi and Ted Hsu reaches its final stage. The result will be announced on December 2. But before the winner is revealed, voting will also take place in the riding of Kitchener Centre, where a provincial byelection is scheduled for November 30.
Joining me this week to break down all the latest in Ontario politics are Sabrina Nanji of Queen’s Park Observer and Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief at The Trillium.
In addition to listening to this episode of The Writ Podcast in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube.
If you’re looking for this week’s extra episode of The Numbers podcast, it is available for Patreon members here. The next regular episode will be in this feed next Friday.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode