One contender quits Ontario Liberal leadership race to back Bonnie Crombie

“If there’s one thing that I really admire about Bonnie, it’s that she is a uniter and she’s capable of building a very big team,” said the first-term Don Valley East MPP.

The emergency room physician has given a huge boost to Crombie’s campaign, which has raised more money than the other three remaining candidates combined.

Shamji’s move is a shot across the bow at rival candidates MPP Ted Hsu (Kingston and the Islands) and MPs Nate Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York) and Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre) ahead Sunday’s leadership debate in Stratford.

“I’m thrilled that Adil has decided that we will combine forces and work together to make a change, make a difference and work toward removing Doug Ford from office in 2026,” said Crombie.

The Mississauga mayor stressed in an interview that “there is room on this team for all of the candidates” to join her campaign.

“This is one example of the big tent coming together as it should. There’s room for everyone in my big tent,” she said, praising Shamji.

You might be interested in

{{type}}

{{title}}

• Dec 31, 1969
• Comments

{{type}}

{{title}}

• Dec 31, 1969
• Comments

“I’m frankly quite honoured when somebody with such great integrity, and who has already enjoys the trust of Ontarians, has decided to combine efforts … with our campaign.”

Crombie said she and Shamji have always gotten along well together and they “kept the lines of communication open” throughout the campaign.

They were notably respectful toward one another at last week’s debate at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Democracy Forum, which was moderated by Star columnist Martin Regg Cohn.

Erskine-Smith and Naqvi attacked Crombie, likening her to Ford because of her fundraising.

The new Liberal leader will be announced Dec. 2 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the weekend after some 80,000 party members will cast ranked ballots across the province.

For the first time, the party is using a one-member-one-vote election system, where each of Ontario’s 124 ridings has the same value regardless of population.

Each candidate paid a $100,000 entry fee plus a $25,000 refundable deposit, and they can spend up to $900,000, excluding the registration fee and party tithe.

The Liberals governed from 2003 until 2018 under premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne, but have languished in third place after successive election losses to Ford’s Progressive Conservatives, lacking even official party status in the legislature.