Ontario Green leader Schreiner declines Liberal leadership bid

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner says he is staying put despite being wooed by the Liberals to run for leader of their party.

Schreiner released a video statement on Tuesday, saying strong Green voices are needed at Queen’s Park and vowing to remain focused on the need for climate action.

“It is vital that we work together to build a caring, connected, climate-ready province that puts people, planet and province first,” said Schreiner in the statement. “I’m inspired by the thousands of people who have reached out to me over the past three weeks to share their thoughts on the future of our province.”

“I’ve asked myself and others how I can best make a positive difference in building the Ontario we truly want. The answer for me is as the leader of the Ontario Green Party.”

"I'm green for life." Green Party leader Mike Schreiner on his decision not to run for Ontario liberal leadership #onpoli pic.twitter.com/rlYy29LeYr

— Cynthia Mulligan (@CityCynthia) February 21, 2023

The Guelph MPP is currently serving in his second term in provincial parliament. A group of prominent Ontario Liberals had urged Schreiner to seek the party’s top job and he said last month that he was not ruling out the Liberal leadership bid.

In the video statement, Schreiner thanked the 40 Liberal MPPs who asked him to cross the floor, adding they helped open a conversation about how “progressive parties might work differently.”

The provincial Liberal party has been without a permanent leader since Steven Del Duca stepped down last year following a second consecutive provincial election loss. 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.

The Ontario legislature resumed sitting Tuesday after a two-month winter break.

With files from The Canadian Press