Former Liberal MP Navdeep Bains delivers a farewell speech in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on in June, 2021.PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press
Liberals MPs are among those throwing their support behind former federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains, who is considering a run for leader of the Ontario Liberals – a move that could shake up the provincial political landscape.
Several federal and provincial Liberals told The Globe and Mail that they are encouraging Mr. Bains to seek the leadership and that he is seriously considering it.
Mr. Bains left politics in 2021, after 13 years in elected office. He held senior roles in former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government, including as minister of innovation, science and industry, as well as in key organizing roles for the federal Liberal party.
Mr. Bains currently holds a high-level private-sector role as chief corporate affairs officer for Rogers Communications. He did not respond to a request for comment.
His potential entry into the race – which is expected to include federal Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, as well as provincial MPPs Lee Fairclough and Rob Cerjanec – could have a significant impact on provincial politics. As a former MP in the Toronto-area region of Mississauga, Mr. Bains has deep roots in the party and co-chaired Mr. Trudeau’s campaigns in the 2019 and 2021 elections.
Liberal Nate Erskine-Smith says he is ready to go ‘toe to toe’ with Premier Doug Ford
The Ontario Liberals, currently in third place in the legislature, will select their new leader on Nov. 21. The party has struggled to make gains since losing government in 2018 and will now choose its third leader in eight years.
Former leader Bonnie Crombie, who resigned earlier this year, helped the Liberals regain official party status in the 2025 campaign but lost her own bid for a seat in Mississauga. Steven Del Duca, the previous leader who also lost in the 2022 campaign, is now the mayor of Vaughan.
Mr. Bains attended last weekend’s federal Liberal convention in Montreal, where he was seen at multiple receptions as well as on the convention floor talking to MPs, veteran Liberals and campaign organizers.
Those close to Mr. Bains say his decision will be based on considerations of his family, which includes two daughters.
Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi, who ran for provincial leader in 2023, told The Globe that he is among those encouraging Mr. Bains to run.
“I can tell you having many conversations with party members at our convention in Montreal, there was a lot of enthusiasm for Navdeep considering a possible run for the leadership,” he said in an interview.
“Nav has a very strong reputation within the party as someone who is a strong Liberal, is very thoughtful and kind, and is a hard worker. And what the party really needs provincially at this moment is somebody who knows how to organize the party, how to build the party, and Navdeep has that experience.”
Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Feb. 27.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Mr. Naqvi said if Mr. Bains chooses to be part of the race, it would “elevate” the contest and rally the grassroots against Premier Doug Ford, who has led the Progressive Conservatives to three majority governments. Mr. Naqvi previously teamed up with Mr. Erskine-Smith, who also ran for Ontario Liberal leader in 2023, in an unsuccessful bid to stop Ms. Crombie from winning.
Iqwinder Gaheer, a two-term Liberal MP who represents the riding of Mississauga-Malton, said Mr. Bains’s entry into the race would be “the best thing for the Ontario Liberal Party.”
“I was at the Liberal convention in Montreal, and you could feel the energy in the room, and I know many people are encouraging him to step forward,” Mr. Gaheer said in a comment to The Globe.
“He brings the kind of serious, steady leadership that this moment demands.”
Liberal MPP Andrea Hazell also called Mr. Bains’s potential candidacy “an amazing opportunity for him, for the party.”
Siloni Waraich, a former president of the Ontario Liberal Party in 2014-15, said she hasn’t been formally involved in provincial politics since 2018 but believes Mr. Bains can rally many Liberals once again. Ms. Waraich helped organize his first political run in 2004.
“I consider myself a long-time grassroots Liberal that has consciously taken a time out or been out in the wilderness. As many have, frankly,” she told The Globe.
“I believe Nav is someone that I can actually get excited about the party again after a very long time.”
Mr. Erskine-Smith, who has a decade of experience in federal politics, has so far had the most name recognition in the provincial leadership contest.
He is also vying for the provincial Liberal nomination in the Toronto riding of Scarborough Southwest, with the candidate to be chosen at a meeting on May 9.
Mr. Erskine-Smith’s spokesperson told The Globe that he welcomes Mr. Bains into the race.
“A competitive leadership contest will strengthen the Ontario Liberal Party. Navdeep brings experience and seriousness to the race, and that will make our party better. I wish him the best of luck,” spokesperson Alex Spears said in a statement.
Asked by reporters Wednesday about Mr. Bains’s potential candidacy, Mr. Ford said he doesn’t care who runs.
“You could run Mickey Mouse against me, Donald Duck. I don’t care. I’m focusing on Ontario,” he said at a transit announcement in Toronto.
“They can focus on whatever they need to do, and good luck to them.”