Vincent Black

Is Bonnie Crombie a game changer?

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The minute Mississauga Mayor, Bonnie Crombie decided to enter the race to be the next liberal leader …. Doug Ford started to panic or better yet seemed worried that she was ready to take over the liberal party provincial and take on Ford head-to-head in the next upcoming provincial election…. if Doug Ford decides to run again. Well, the minute it became fairly official, Doug Ford has gone on the offensive against Ms. Crombie.

Bonnie Crombie is possibly one of Doug Ford’s least favourite people. But Crombie, it must be said, is a game changer in Ontario politics today as she prepares to switch from municipal politics to the mid league of provincial politics.

The mayor of Mississauga made big news last week as the mighty mayor who engineered Mississauga’s liberation from Peel Region. Score one for the mayor, who persuaded the mighty premier to let her city go free and become independent. Then she made headlines again by announcing a move from Mississauga to Queen’s Park….She is poised to run for leader of Ontario’s fledgling Liberals, while persuading the people of the province to let Ford fall on his sword.

With Ms. Crombie making to smart moves against Ford, the premier cried foul and was out maneuvered politically and got backlash from the premiere and started to critic her. He also went to the extend of asking the question to the public of whether she should resign her position in Mississauga. He said, “you can’t be mayor and running for a leader,” Ford complained to reporters. “You can’t put your butt on both sides of the fence.”

It seems that he can’t get Crombie out of his head, nor turn the other cheek. She has definitely for now pushed his buttons and definitely has him on the offensive against Ms. Crombie. He has categorised her with a few different political imageries and tried to make her out as a political opportunist. Mr. Ford thus far has had a free pass with all the opposition parties including the NDP, but with Ms. Crombie in the mix, he knows that there will be good questions asked and much can be uncovered. She will retain her mayoral chair while trying to unseat the premier. Yet perhaps it’s beside the point – for one man’s overwork is another women’s multi-tasking.

Bonnie Crombie was elected as an MP in 2008 but went down to defeat in the federal Liberal fall of 2011.Within months, she pivoted to Mississauga as a city councillor, ultimately winning the endorsement of Hazel McCallion to succeed her as mayor in 2014… she won re-election last year with more than 78 per cent of the vote. Crombie achieved McCallion’s lifelong dream of independence from Peel. Yet within days of that victory, she was plotting a new path. Bonnie Crombie has name recognition and will be strong challenge to Ford and his government. With many of the challenges that Ford has with the green belt and the debacle of Ontario Place, Ford has his work cut out for him and his party.

Crombie has attacked attention…. which is why Ford is watching her closely, if not obsessively.

Officially, her campaign claim’s she’s just testing the waters with a campaign that is merely exploratory, but l has it on good authority that she is all in. Politics, like life, is all about timing, not perfect timing, just being in the right place at more or less the right time. The Liberal leadership race will be decided in December of this year, which will really make it interesting on how Crombie makes her next several move’s.

In reality, Bonnie Crombie has been working at this behind the scenes for the last five years. Her biggest challenge will be for her to get known outside of Mississauga and try to bring the people of Ontario back to the centre. We have gone far right under Ford nation and with the previous Liberal premiers in Wynne and McGuinty one can argue that we need to come back to the centre with a heart. One can also say that these two past Liberal premiers took the province to far to the left, and Ford has taken us too far to the right. Bonnie Crombie may just be positioned to take us back to a centrist position.

Bonnie Crombie believes the Liberals leftward drift helped drive voters into Ford’s arms. She is very mindful of the Liberal party’s rural deficit – and needs to concentrate in those areas. There is no question, that she has a big road to travel in getting better known outside of the GTA, but it is very doable as we are still three years out from the next provincial election. Many things can occur over the next three…the minute she is officially launched, the games are on.

Fords government lack of transparency, accountability is just a few of the key issues that Crombie will be highlighting over the coming months and years. Decisions around Ontario Place did not have enough public consultations, and she also criticized what she described as a lack of consultations with Indigenous communities around the province’s move to develop the Greenbelt.

From many perspectives……Bonnie Crombie is seen as a saviour in waiting. Many have all feared the mighty Doug Ford and his machine. Ms. Crombie by all accounts thus far, is the only one that will stand up to this premier and will not be intimidated or bullied. On a personal note, and with full disclosure, Ms. Crombie is a personal friend and l hope that she has the deep will and fight in her to go the full fifteen rounds. I believe she does, but when you are up against the big bad wolf, it takes a special person to take on the challenge for herself and the citizens of this province.

She is not the perfect opponent to Ford but is a fantastic great alternative to the voters of Ontario if she decides 100% to give it a go. These upcoming several years in provincial politics can be game changers because the Ford government has changed the shape and character of this province and lam not so sure for the betterment of who?

All governments have their favourites, but Ford nation has lost touch with the common voter and has only helped a handful of cronies.

Vince Nigro/MS

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