Candidates in Ontario Liberal leadership debate value of having a seat

In Ontario, Liberal leadership hopefuls are debating the significance of holding an elected seat. The upcoming Nov. 21 announcement will determine who leads the third-place party, which has not been in government since 2018. The previous leaders, Steven Del Duca and Bonnie Crombie, did not have a legislative seat. Four candidates are weighing in on whether an elected seat matters to voters.

Two, Lee Fairclough and Stephanie Bowman, argue that the leader must have the visibility that comes with being an elected legislator. The remaining three, Navdeep Bains, Eric Lombardi, and Dylan Marando, maintain that having an elected seat is not a deciding factor for their supporters.