Bonnie Crombie endorses Mark Carney as federal Liberal leader

Bonnie Crombie, Ontario’s head of Liberals, has endorsed candidate Mark Carney as the federal leader of the political party.

Crombie, looking to become elected as Ontario’s Premier in an election this week, issued a statement on Tuesday indicating her support for Carney.

“Liberals in Ontario and across Canada are feeling a spark right now. A confidence that we can stand united and meet this critical moment in history – together,” Crombie said. “Staring down the threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs, it is more clear than ever that we need leaders who have the right priorities.

“I believe Mark Carney is that kind of leader, and I’m proud to have his support,” Crombie’s statement concluded.

Carney currently leads in endorsements, polling and fundraising, and he’s the subject of frequent attacks from Conservative Party of Canada party leader Pierre Poilievre and his caucus.

For Crombie, she has pledged to invest in the province’s healthcare system and ensure everyone has a family doctor within four years if elected. On Monday, the former Mississauga mayor took aim at Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford over what she called a failure to address the province’s healthcare system.

Carney heads into second federal Liberal Party debate backed by recent polls

Carney, who held senior positions at the Bank of Canada and in the Finance department in Ottawa until he was appointed governor of the Bank of Canada in 2008, is not a member of Parliament but could serve as prime minister without a seat in the House of Commons.

He has pledged to repeal the consumer carbon price if he becomes Liberal leader. He has since promised a tax cut for the middle class and committed to cancelling the Liberal government’s controversial hike to the capital gains inclusion rate.

Earlier this month, Carney pledged to hit Canada’s NATO defence spending target by the end of the decade — two years ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s schedule.

While polls still tend to favour Poilievre’s Conservatives, a Leger survey from Feb. 11 suggested a Carney-led party would boost Liberal support by six points to 37 per cent, putting them in a dead heat with the Tories. Leger recorded a six-point bump in Liberal support since Jan. 26, after weeks of headlines about U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and calls for Canada to become a U.S. state.

The pollster suggested support for a Liberal party led by Chrystia Freeland would slide three points to 28 per cent, with Conservatives at 39 per cent.

The four Liberal leadership contenders will retake the stage tonight for an English-language debate in Montreal.

On Monday night, Carney had his guard up and stumbled the most in French. With the candidates playing it safe, Freeland bailed Carney out of one jam when he flubbed a comment about Hamas and the war in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Liberal party members will be able to start casting advance votes for the person who will replace Trudeau at the top of the party.