NAVDEEP IN, NATE OUT? Ex-MP adds new wrinkle to Ontario Liberal leadership race

· Toronto Sun

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source.

Less than 24 hours after Ontario Liberal leadership contender Nathaniel Eskine-Smith had his appeal of the Scarborough Southwest nomination process dismissed, another longtime federal MP is joining the race to succeed Bonnie Crombie.

Visit tr-sport.bond for more information.

Navdeep Bains, who served as the minister of innovation, science and economic development under Justin Trudeau before leaving Parliament in 2021 , launched his much-speculated leadership campaign Monday with a 16-second video on social media.

The video contains no quotes and simply shows Bains walking into a classroom, sitting on a chair and then rolling up his sleeves.

“Let’s get to work,” a graphic says at the end of the video, as well as that the video was authorized by the official agent of the Navdeep Bains leadership campaign.

Bains’ campaign website , meanwhile, had little to offer other than “coming soon,” as well as links asking visitors to get involved or donate.

A message seeking a comment from Bains or his campaign team, including why he was returning to politics after a more than five-year hiatus, was not immediately returned.

The Ontario Liberals had yet to reply to an email asking if Bains was confirmed as an official candidate.

For now, here is an updated look at the Ontario Liberal leadership race and Bains’ background in politics:

Shifting campaign dynamics

The Ontario Liberals will select their next leader in the fall after former Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie resigned in January after less than three years on the job, during which she failed to win a seat at Queen’s Park.

Ottawa South MP John Fraser was named the interim leader for a third time in the wake of Crombie’s departure, but once again will not be seeking the full-time gig.

Other contenders have stepped up since then, including Erskine-Smith, Etobicoke—Lakeshore MPP Lee Fairclough and Dylan Marando, who has worked behind the scenes at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill.

Erskine-Smith’s odds , however, took a hit this weekend when the Beaches—East York MP had his appeal of the Scarborough Southwest nomination process dismissed. Even before the result of the appeal was announced, he told CTV’s Power Play earlier this month that a leadership bid was “ much less likely” now than before the nomination vote.

Ahsanul Hafiz will instead represent the riding in a byelection that has yet to be announced by Premier Doug Ford.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Who is Navdeep Bains?

Bains joined Parliament in 2004 as the MP for Mississauga—Brampton South, serving briefly as the parliamentary secretary to prime minister Paul Martin before losing his seat to the Conservatives’ Eve Adams in 2011.

He was back on Parliament Hill four years later, though, as the MP for Mississauga—Malton from 2015 to 2021, spending most of that time as Trudeau’s innovation, science and economic development/industry minister.

Since leaving politics, he has worked as an executive at CIBC and Rogers , where he was reportedly instrumental in getting the company’s merger with Shaw approved.

The Toronto Sun ’s Brian Lilley, meanwhile, reported last month via sources that Bains had already assembled a team for the leadership race and was being encouraged to run by current and former GTA Liberals.

What’s next?

The Liberals will hold their ranked-ballot leadership vote online from Nov. 9 to Nov. 20 with the results being announced at an in-person event the following day. The location of the event has not been announced.

The party had said that debates and all-candidate events were supposed to be held starting this spring, but no dates or locations had been posted on the party’s website and that was with less than a month to go until summer.

Read full story at source