TORONTO — Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner says he’s staying put after considering a plea from a group of Liberals to cross the floor and run for leadership of their party.
The Liberals have been without a permanent leader since Steven Del Duca stepped down last year following a second consecutive devastating election loss for the party.
A group of Liberals that included former cabinet ministers Deb Matthews and Liz Sandals, and current Liberal caucus member Lucille Collard, released a public letter last month urging Schreiner to join their party and seek the top job.
Schreiner says today he has taken the time to consult his Guelph constituents and people across the province and he has decided he can best make a positive difference as leader of the Greens.
Schreiner says he doesn’t think he’s lost credibility as Green leader for even considering crossing the floor, because people have told him they appreciated how he handled it.
Several Liberals have publicly said they’re exploring a run at the top job, including MP and former Ontario cabinet minister Yasir Naqvi, MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and current Ontario Liberal caucus member Ted Hsu.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2023.
