Navdeep Bains, a former federal cabinet minister now running to lead the Ontario Liberal Party, delivers his farewell speech in the House of Commons in 2021.PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press
Navdeep Bains is entering the Ontario Liberal leadership contest as the presumed front-runner, pitching himself as the best candidate to tackle the province’s economic and social challenges – and seeking to galvanize those party members who have remained on the sidelines for three elections.
The former Trudeau-era cabinet minister and ex-Rogers Communications executive is viewed by many Liberals as a competent and well-liked veteran who has the experience to take on Premier Doug Ford in the next provincial election.
Critics, however, say he may be hampered by political baggage and ties to corporate Canada.
The race to lead the Ontario Liberal Party has garnered significant attention with the fallout from the party’s nomination race in Toronto’s Scarborough Southwest earlier this month.
Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith had hoped to be the candidate in a yet-to-be-called by-election in the riding but lost by 19 votes. His appeal of the results was recently dismissed by the party’s arbitration committee, further casting doubt on his plan to run for provincial leader.
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Mr. Bains’s entry into the leadership race is significant, Liberal strategists say. He is drawing on nearly two decades of political experience as an elected official and organizer, with deep roots in the Greater Toronto Area, having represented the Mississauga and Brampton areas west of the city.
“His reputation among Ontario Liberals is extremely high,” said party strategist Dan Moulton, a partner at public-affairs agency Crestview Strategy.
“He comes into this campaign with a strong presence in the conversation, which I think is going to dominate the narrative of this leadership race for the foreseeable future.”
Mr. Bains released a new video on Wednesday, explaining why he’s returning to politics after a five-year hiatus, co-ordinated with the launch of his leadership website and a stop in Windsor, Ont.
He didn’t explicitly mention Mr. Ford in the video but focused instead on why he thinks life has become harder under the Progressive Conservative government since 2018 – including finding employment, affordable homes, good schools and access to a family doctor.
“After nearly a decade of conservative governments, a whole generation is falling behind, and we’re being told it’s good enough. It is not,” said Mr. Bains, seated in a chair in what appears to be an empty classroom.
As innovation and industry minister for more than five years under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, he also talked up his economic credentials – saying he fought for the auto sector when tariffs were imposed during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term.
Liberal strategist Scott Reid, who has known Mr. Bains for 20 years, said it appears that he will be running as a centrist candidate, focusing on middle-class themes such as jobs and the economy.
“He appears to be willing to take Ford on, on Ford’s territory,” said Mr. Reid, a principal at communications firm Feschuk.Reid and onetime senior aide to former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin.
“He obviously detects a certain degree of rust on Ford’s armour.”
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But Mr. Bains’s record could also be politically vulnerable, having served in a federal government that grew increasingly unpopular until Mr. Trudeau’s resignation in 2025.
Ontario’s Energy Minister, Stephen Lecce, on Wednesday criticized Mr. Bains’s experience in the Trudeau cabinet.
“Nothing says ‘change’ like bringing back Justin Trudeau’s top confidant and chief minister to import the very policies that cost Canada hundreds of thousands of jobs, drove up costs for families, undermined our global reputation and national unity,” Mr. Lecce said in a post on “X.”
“We cannot afford Trudeau 2.0.”
Erin Morrison, vice-president at Texture Communications and a former NDP staffer, said she believes that Mr. Bains will have difficulty positioning himself as a defender of everyday people.
She said moving from industry minister to a high-profile job at Rogers is not a good look, noting the high cost of cellphone bills and recent mass buyouts at the company. Mr. Bains also served in a senior role at CIBC before joining Rogers.
“For the NDP, it looks like there will be running room on the left side of the spectrum, for people who are looking for change from an economy that’s been designed to serve a few,” she said.
So far, there are three official candidates in the race: Mr. Bains, Toronto MPP Lee Fairclough and former political staffer Dylan Marando. Another expected candidate, Ajax MPP Rob Cerjanec, said he will soon be making an announcement about his intentions. The new leader will be announced on Nov. 21.
Both Ms. Fairclough and Mr. Cerjanec said Wednesday that they welcome Mr. Bains in the contest.
Mr. Erskine-Smith has yet to announce whether he’ll still run for provincial leader. He said earlier this month that it is now less likely that he’ll enter the race, but he’ll still resign his Toronto seat as a federal member of Parliament this summer.
With a report from Jeff Gray