Gould Says She Won’t Run for Ontario Liberal Party Leadership

Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Karina Gould has announced she will not pursue the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Gould, who represents Burlington, Ont., considered running after Bonnie Crombie said she would step down from her role as the party leader in September, following a leadership review.

“Over the past couple of months, I’ve had many people approach me to consider running for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party,” Gould said in a Dec. 9 Instagram post.

“In considering these requests, I asked myself where I can have the most impact for my community, my province and my country. I have come to the conclusion that it continues to be as the Member of Parliament for Burlington.” 

Gould has previously taken a run at a leadership role. She finished third in the federal Liberal leadership contest this spring, behind Prime Minister Mark Carney and former finance minister Chrystia Freeland.

Gould was elected to a fourth term in the last election but was left out of Carney’s cabinet after previously serving as Government House Leader under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

After mulling the requests to shift to provincial politics, the 38-year-old MP said she believes she can be most effective by remaining in Ottawa and representing her constituents, who have been hit hard by U.S. tariffs on steel and the auto sector.

She described Burlington as the “supply chain in between” the steel workers to the west and auto workers to the east.

Some 1,000 Algoma Steel workers are losing their jobs in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., as the company accelerates a transition to new equipment in response to U.S. tariffs.  On the auto front, both Stellantis and General Motors have announced job cuts.

Stellantis is planning to relocate production of its Jeep Compass from Brampton, Ont., to Belvidere, Illinois, while GM has announced it will end production of electric vans at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll.

The series of layoff announcements has led to a “challenging economic time” for Canada, Gould said in a written statement.

“Our very livelihood depends on how we confront and respond to what is happening south of the border,” she wrote. “I feel a deep sense of duty and obligation to my community to fight with every inch of my being for you in Ottawa and to ensure you are heard loud and clear.”

She said she supports the prime minister’s plan to focus on the economy. Carney’s Building Canada Act, passed in June as part of Bill C-5, gives Ottawa the ability to designate certain “nation-building” projects for streamlined review and approval through the newly launched Major Projects Office. The plan has been described by the Liberals as a bid to lessen Canada’s reliance on the United States and become more self-sufficient.

Gould said she is well-positioned as chair of the House of Commons finance committee to help with Ottawa’s economic push.

She also referred to the cost-of-living crisis, saying that the “decisions we are making in Ottawa matter right now for today and for our future.”

Will Still Help Ontario Party

Despite her focus on federal matters, Gould said she still plans to help the provincial Liberals, saying she believes the next government of Ontario “should be a Liberal government.”

The Ontario Liberal Party increased its seat count from nine to 14, regaining official party status, in the February election won by Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. 

But the party was unsuccessful in establishing itself as the Official Opposition, placing third after the NDP, and Crombie failed to win a seat in the legislature.

Crombie announced her resignation as leader after receiving a weak show of support at the party’s annual general meeting in September.

Noah Parker, a regional vice-president for the Ontario Liberal Party, said in September that he would like to see Gould run for the party’s leadership. 

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who secured second place in the 2023 Ontario Liberal leadership contest, has been advocating for a “renewal” at the helm of the provincial party and hinted earlier this fall that he would like to run again. He has not confirmed if he will take another stab at the position.