Who will lead Ontario Liberals?

Now that the federal election is behind us for the time being and the provincial legislature in Ontario has kicked off this week after a 5-month vacation, the Liberal provincial leadership race is set to kick off and select their new leader by March of 2020.

As of this week there are 5 candidates vying for this position and whoever wins this race could very well be the next premier in this province.

Who are these candidates and who will come out on top???

Here is the field so far on who is in the race, l will also try and give you a sneak preview of what they stand for thus far, and of course their positions will change as time goes on.

Mitzie Hunter, Scarborough-Guildwood MPP and former Minister of Education…

Alvin Tedjo, former Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities…

Michael Coteau, Don Valley East MPP and former Minister of Community and Social Services…

Kate Graham, a political science teacher at the University of Western Ontario…

Steven Del Duca, former MPP for Vaughan and Minister of Economics Development and Growth…

Mitzie Hunter

Ms. Hunter said she will reinstate $750 million in OSAP cuts, these cuts are affecting students delaying their completion of their programs and moving forward with their education.

The former minister of education plans to increase the interest-free grace period to two years, as well as provide health coverage through OHIP to people under 30.

Alvin Tedjo

Mr. Tedjo’s campaign is exploring the idea of universal basic income and universal childcare, especially for students with dependents. Mr. Tedjo is a defeated Oakville North – Burlington candidate from the 2018 election and former political staffer.

Michael Coteau

Mr. Coteau is seen as a front runner in this race with a huge upside and is picking up good support from the party establishment. He is one of the surviving candidates that was reelected in the 2018 campaign and since then has always been seen as one of the liberal leading voices for the party. He is an immigrant kid from Flemington park, who lived in a very humble apartment with his mother who cleans houses and his dad who repairs washing machines.

He is very pro-immigration and wants to continue to work on the civil minority policies that give each of us a fair chance at life in this province.

Kate Graham

Ms. Graham is from outside the Greater Toronto Area, a defeated candidate, who ran a distant third in former deputy premier Deb Matthews riding of London North Centre in the June 2018 vote that swept the PC’s into power. She feels that voters want to see is a party that can show that it is a good financial manager but also really pushing positive, progressive policies that have a benefit in people’s lives. Graham, has a doctorate in political science from Western, has never held elected office.

Steven Del Duca

A former cabinet minister, tied closely to the previous Liberal government in Ontario, is running to be the party’s next leader. Even though Mr. Del Duca was defeated in the last provincial election, he still has that burning desire to continue the good fight. Mr. Del Duca served as an MPP for Vaughan from 2011 to 2018. He served in former premier Wynnes’s cabinet for the Liberals entire last term in government, first as transportation minister and then as economic development minister.

Steven Del Duca is definitely the front runner in this race and has assembled a pretty good financial war chest. He is also backed by the Sorbara family and seeks political advice from the former minister of finance Greg Sorbara.

Arthur Potts was slated to announce that he would jump into this contest but decided not to enter the race on Wednesday (30) due to Liberal party irregularities. What those issues are we are hoping that he can explain why at some point soon. Too bad as he would have been my candidate of choice.

Every candidate that decides to run for this position needs to pony up $100,000 to enter the leadership race – a $75,000 registration fee and a $25,000 conditionally refundable deposit.

The party membership cut-off is 6.00 p.m. and delegates who will cast ballots on March 7, 2020 will be selected on February 8 and 9, 2020. The deadline for entrants of further candidates is November 25, 2019.

Some further names may still enter this race to be the next leader of the provincial Liberal party, but for now the race seems to be between Michael Coteau and Steven Del Duca with a slight edge to Mr. Del Duca.

Hoping to get some further exciting and fresh personalities to enter this race and not more of the same past recycled political Wynn BULL…