Green Party leader Mike Schreiner said Tuesday he would not leave the party to run for leadership of the Ontario Liberals, weeks after a group of veteran grit insiders publicly encouraged him to do so.
In a video statement posted on Twitter, Schreiner thanked the group of 40 Liberals who signed an open letter urging him to consider an offer of leadership and said he was “deeply moved” by the support of Ontario residents who wanted him to “unite the progressive movement”. “
But after taking the time to speak to members of the Green Party and his constituents in Guelph, Schreiner said he would not attempt to speak.
“There is so much unfinished work to prepare our province, our economy and our communities for the climate. Work that I am determined to continue as a green leader,” he said in the video address released shortly before the Legislature returned after a two-month hiatus.
“The building of the green movement and the election of more greens will make it clear that the status quo is unacceptable,” he continued.
Schreiner also took the opportunity to slam Premier Doug Ford, accusing him of paving the green belt and saying Ford has shown a “complete disregard” for climate action, affordable housing and Ontario residents who depend on disability payments.
In its January letter, the group of high-profile Liberals — including former cabinet ministers Deb Matthews and Liz Sandals, and current Liberal faction member Lucille Collard — said the party “needs to rediscover a politics of purpose and principle.
“We need to reach a new generation of voters. We need to be open to new people, new ideas, and embrace the kind of energy and enthusiasm that fuels grassroots activism and engagement across the province,” they wrote.
Schreiner initially dismissed the idea when it was informally floated in December last year. But he told CBC Radio Metro morning that the letter “really challenged” him to think about how he could “work differently” at Queen’s Park.
In a statement Tuesday, interim Liberal leader John Fraser said he was “in no way surprised” by Schreiner’s decision.
“I’ve known Mike Schreiner for the past four and a half years and we’ve worked well together,” Fraser said. “I will continue to work with Mike to hold Ford Conservatives accountable.”
Fraser added that more than 1,500 Liberal members have signed up to attend the party’s annual general meeting later this year, where they will finalize the details of the upcoming leadership contest.
The Liberals are trying to rebuild after two consecutive electoral disasters, with the party currently holding just eight seats in the legislature.
