‘Still listening’: Green party pres. in Guelph says Schreiner still mulling Liberal leadership bid

By Casey Taylor

It's one of the big questions in Ontario politics right now – will Mike Schreiner cross the floor to run for Liberal leadership?

“I don't think anyone can predict what's going to happen,” said Irene Szabo, Schreiner's riding association president in Guelph. “I talked to him this morning and he's still listening to his party, his constituents, and anyone who cares to give any input — he's still listening.”

This comes as a group of Greens have penned a response to the open letter from some prominent Liberals looking to poach their leader saying, essentially, 'come join us instead'.

The Green Party, meantime, is seeming to come out on top while the decision is still up in the air.

The Liberal proposition has highlighted the current state of that party in the provincial political landscape while it also may have drawn some of the spotlight off the crowning of a new NDP leader in the province.

“So I'm please the Liberals have put out a letter, because now everyone's talking about the Greens,” said Szabo. “The Greens have a clear vision for the future of Ontario and it's gained support across the board; Mike works across party lines and it looks like the Liberals are listening.”

Szabo said the Greens are also more than a single-issue party focused on the environment, but also have strong plans for health care, the economy, and more.

“We [also] believe that electoral reform is important and it looks like the Liberals are starting to see that too,” she said. “So they can join us and we can make the changes and stand for something, not just against [Doug] Ford.”

Meantime, that could all blow up if Mike Schreiner does opt to cross the floor and make a bid for the Liberal leadership.

Either way, Szabo said she has faith it will be the right decision for Ontario.

“I haven't heard of anybody being put off by talking about party switching, when they are turned off is when a party abandons its values and Mike is sticking by our values,” she said.

“I believe in Mike, I've campaigned for Mike since before [he] was elected, I've door-knocked with Mike in the middle of winter, and I fully trust Mike that he will make the right decision for Ontarians.”

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