Ontario Liberal Party facts for kids

The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP; French: Parti libéral de l'Ontario, PLO) is a political group in Ontario, Canada. It is led by Bonnie Crombie since December 2023.

This party believes in liberalism, which means they often focus on individual rights and freedoms. They are usually seen as being in the centre or slightly to the centre-left of politics. Their main rivals are the Progressive Conservative Party, who are more to the right, and the New Democratic Party (NDP), who are more to the left. Sometimes, the Liberals and NDP have worked together in government.

The Ontario Liberal Party has informal connections with the Liberal Party of Canada, which is the national Liberal party. However, they are separate organizations. They used to be one group until 1976, when members decided to split them.

In the 2018 provincial election, the Liberals lost many seats. They ended up with only seven seats, which was their worst defeat ever for a ruling party in Ontario. Before 2018, the party had won every election since the year 2000 and had been in charge for 15 years. In the 2022 provincial election, the Liberals gained a little more support. They finished second in total votes but only won eight seats.

Quick facts for kids Ontario Liberal Party Parti libéral de l'Ontario
Active provincial party
Abbreviation	OLP (English) PLO (French)
Leader	Bonnie Crombie
President	Kathryn McGarry
House leader	Lucille Collard
Founded	1857; 168 years ago (1857)
Preceded by	Clear Grits
Headquarters	344 Bloor Street W. Suite 306 Toronto, Ontario M5S 3A7 Canada
Youth wing	Ontario Young Liberals
Women's wing	Ontario Women’s Liberal Commission
Membership (2023)	103,206
Ideology	Liberalism (Canadian) Social liberalism
Political position	Centre to centre-left
National affiliation	Liberal Party of Canada (until 1976)
Colours	Red
Seats in Legislature	9 / 124
Political parties

The Story of the Ontario Liberal Party

How the Party Started

The Ontario Liberal Party comes from an older group called the Reform Party. Leaders like Robert Baldwin and William Lyon Mackenzie in the 1830s and 1840s wanted a "responsible government." This meant that the government should be accountable to the people, not just a small group of powerful families.

The modern Liberal Party was started by George Brown in 1857. He brought together the Reformers and a group called the "Clear Grits." They wanted to make government more democratic and unite Britain's colonies in North America. This idea helped lead to Canadian Confederation, which is how Canada became a country.

After Canada Was Formed

After 1867, Edward Blake became the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. They were the opposition to the Conservative government. Blake's Liberals won in 1871. But Blake soon left for Ottawa, and Oliver Mowat took over as leader. Mowat was the Premier of Ontario (the head of the provincial government) until 1896.

Under Mowat, the Liberals tried to unite different groups of people, including Catholics and Protestants, and people from both rural and city areas. They focused on being moderate and practical.

A Time of Decline

The Liberals lost power in 1905 after being in charge for over 30 years. The party had become less energetic and too careful. Also, some anti-Catholic feelings hurt the Liberals, especially in Toronto. For a while, another party called the United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) became more popular than the Liberals.

Disagreements over alcohol laws also divided the party. This led to some leaders resigning and many reform-minded Liberals leaving. By 1930, the Liberals were a small, rural party.

Mitch Hepburn Brings the Party Back

After several weak leaders, the Liberals chose Mitchell Hepburn. He was a farmer and a Member of Parliament. Hepburn brought together different groups, including farmers and city voters. He also helped end the party's disagreements about alcohol laws. The party became strong again, winning votes from farmers, city people, Catholics, and French speakers. They also had an advantage because they were not in power when the Great Depression started. People wanted a new government, and Hepburn's popular style excited the province.

As Premier, Hepburn's Liberals had conflicts with organized labour (worker unions). Later, he disagreed with the federal Liberal government about the war effort. These disagreements split the Ontario Liberal Party and led to Hepburn leaving as leader. It also contributed to the party's loss in the 1943 election. After this, the Liberals were out of power for a long time. The "Progressive Conservatives" then ruled Ontario for the next 42 years.

Years in Opposition

For many years, the Progressive Conservatives (also called the Tories) were in charge in Ontario. From 1943 to 2003, the Liberals were only in government for five years. For 42 years, from 1943 to 1985, the Tories governed the province. During this time, the Ontario Liberal Party was a smaller, more conservative party. In 1964, the party changed its name to the "Liberal Party of Ontario."

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Liberals struggled to win seats in Metropolitan Toronto and other urban areas. In 1975, they even fell to third place behind the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP). It seemed like the Liberals might disappear completely.

However, the Liberals remained popular with Catholic and French-speaking voters. This was because the party supported giving money to separate schools for Grades 11–13. The Tories were against this until 1985, when they suddenly changed their minds. This change angered some traditional Conservative voters and might have helped the Liberals win in the 1985 election.

The Peterson Years

Logo of the Ontario Liberal Party from 1985 to 1990

The Ontario Liberal Party finally broke the Tories' long hold on the province in 1985. This happened under the leadership of David Peterson. Peterson updated the party and made it appealing to city voters and new Canadians.

Peterson formed a minority government from 1985 to 1987. This meant his party didn't have enough seats to rule alone, so they made an agreement with the Ontario NDP. The NDP agreed not to vote against the government if the Liberals put certain policies into action.

After this agreement ended, an election was called. Peterson won a strong majority government with 95 seats, which was the most they had ever won.

Peterson's government ruled during a good economic time. The Liberal government from 1987 to 1990 was less new and exciting than the earlier minority government. The Liberals became more conservative, which made many centre-left voters look at the Ontario NDP and its leader Bob Rae. They started to see the NDP as a good alternative.

The Liberals seemed to have strong support before the 1990 election. However, this support quickly disappeared. During the campaign, people were upset that the government was calling an election so soon. There were also concerns about fundraising and connections with land developers.

In the 1990 election, the Liberals lost many seats, falling from 95 to 36. This was a huge loss. Peterson himself lost his own seat.

Back in Opposition

Logo of the Ontario Liberal Party from 1995 to 2002

By the 1995 election, the NDP government had become very unpopular. The Liberal Party was expected to win, but they ran a weak campaign under leader Lyn McLeod. They were beaten by the Progressive Conservatives led by Mike Harris.

In 1996, the Ontario Liberals chose Dalton McGuinty as their leader. McGuinty was known for being careful with money and having a moderate style.

In the 1999 election, the Conservatives were re-elected. They focused on strong economic growth and tried to make McGuinty look unprepared. McGuinty's performance in the leader's debate was not strong. However, he managed to rally his party in the last weeks of the campaign. The Ontario Liberals received 40% of the votes, which was their second-highest total in 50 years at that time.

McGuinty's second term as opposition leader was more successful. The Liberals became the main opposition to the Conservatives. McGuinty presented his party as the "government in waiting." He improved the party's fundraising and rebuilt its platform. He focused on ideas like smaller class sizes, hiring more nurses, protecting the environment, and keeping taxes steady. McGuinty also worked hard to improve his debating skills.

The McGuinty Government: "Choose Change"

Logo of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2002 to 2011

In the 2003 election, McGuinty led the Liberals to a majority government. They won 72 out of 103 seats. The previous Conservative government had faced several issues, including a water safety tragedy and a SARS outbreak. The Conservatives' campaign used negative ads against McGuinty, but McGuinty's campaign kept a positive message. The negative attacks on McGuinty did not work.

The new government quickly passed laws related to their election promises. They changed car insurance rules, set fixed election dates, and stopped some planned tax cuts. They also passed laws to protect publicly funded healthcare, hired more inspectors, and made government electricity companies more open to public information laws. They also banned political advertising by the government.

The McGuinty government also benefited from a scandal involving the previous government's management of electricity companies. It was revealed that some people connected to the previous government had received large contracts without proper bidding.

Dalton McGuinty, Leader 1996–2013

In May 2004, the government introduced a new Health Premium (a fee for healthcare). This was controversial because the Liberals had promised not to raise taxes. The Liberals said they needed the money to cover a hidden deficit left by the previous government and to keep their other promises.

The Health Premium also became a big issue in the 2004 federal election. Many believe it hurt the federal Liberal Prime Minister's chances of re-election.

Other changes included removing coverage for some health services not covered by the Canada Health Act, like eye exams. The government also had a plan to deal with the deficit, offer free immunizations for children, and invest in education. They also aimed to reduce waiting times for cancer care, heart care, and certain medical scans.

McGuinty also hosted a meeting with other provincial leaders about healthcare funding. This led to a new agreement that allowed provinces to get more money from the federal government for health services. McGuinty's work at this meeting was generally praised.

In late 2004, the McGuinty government introduced new rules. These included allowing people to bring their own wine to restaurants, banning junk food in schools, and making smoking illegal in public places. They also required students to stay in school until age 18. After some dog attacks, the government also moved to ban pit bulls.

Logo of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2011 to 2013

In early 2005, McGuinty's government created a Greenbelt around Toronto. This large area of land, about the size of Prince Edward Island, is protected from development to preserve forests and farmland. The Liberals also updated the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, following court decisions.

The Ontario Liberals won their second majority government in a row on October 10, 2007. They won 71 out of 107 seats. Winning two majorities back-to-back was something the party hadn't done in 70 years.

In the next election on October 6, 2011, McGuinty led the Liberals to a third consecutive term. However, this time they formed a minority government, winning 53 out of 107 seats. On October 15, 2012, McGuinty announced he would resign. In January 2013, the party elected Kathleen Wynne as leader, making her the 25th Premier of Ontario.

Kathleen Wynne's Time as Premier

Logo of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2022

The election on June 12, 2014, happened because the Ontario New Democratic Party rejected the government's budget. The Liberal Party, led by Kathleen Wynne, won 58 seats and formed a majority government.

In 2015, the Liberals suggested selling part of the province's electricity distribution company, Hydro One.

Leading up to the 2018 election, the government shifted its focus. They raised the minimum wage, changed employment laws, introduced some free prescription drug coverage, and promised universal child care.

Losing Official Party Status

Logo of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2022 to present

A sign advertising the Ontario Liberal Party in the 2022 Ontario general election

In the 2018 general election, the Liberals suffered a huge defeat. Both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP gained many seats. The Liberal party's popular vote dropped significantly, and they lost 51 seats, ending up with only seven. This meant they no longer had "official party status" in the Ontario legislature, which requires at least eight seats. Kathleen Wynne barely kept her own seat and resigned as leader on election night.

On June 14, 2018, John Fraser became the interim leader of the party.

In the 2018 local elections later that year, six former Liberal Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) were elected to city or regional government roles.

In March 2020, the party elected former Cabinet Minister Steven Del Duca as leader.

In the 2022 general election, the Liberals finished second in total votes but only gained one seat, still falling short of official status. After losing in his own riding, Steven Del Duca resigned as leader. John Fraser returned as interim leader until the December 2023 leadership election.

Bonnie Crombie Becomes Leader

On December 3, 2023, the Ontario Liberal Party elected Bonnie Crombie as its new leader. At the time, she was the mayor of Mississauga. She won against other candidates, including Members of Parliament Nate Erskine-Smith and Yasir Naqvi, and MPP Ted Hsu.

Current Ontario Liberal Team

The following people are currently Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) for the Ontario Liberal Party:

Party Leaders Over Time

No.	Photo	Leader	Time in Office	What They Did
—		George Brown	1857–1867	Not officially elected leader, but led the party in Ontario's first election.
—		Archibald McKellar	1867 – February 3, 1870	Not officially elected.
1		Edward Blake	February 3, 1870 – October 25, 1872	First official leader. Became Premier in 1871. Later led the federal Liberal Party.
2		Sir Oliver Mowat	October 25, 1872 – July 12, 1896	Premier for his entire time as leader. He is the longest-serving Premier in Ontario history.
3		Arthur S. Hardy	July 12, 1896 – 1899	4th Premier of Ontario.
4		George William Ross	1899–1907	5th Premier of Ontario from 1899 to 1905.
5		George P. Graham	1907	Leader of the Opposition.
6		Alexander Grant MacKay	1907–1911	Leader of the Opposition.
7		Newton Rowell	1911–1917	Leader of the Opposition.
—		William Proudfoot	1918–1919	Interim leader.
8		Hartley Dewart	1919–1921	First leader chosen by a leadership convention.
9		Wellington Hay	1922–1923	Leader of the Opposition.
—		W.E.N. Sinclair	1923–1930	Interim leader. Led the party in two elections.
10		Mitchell Hepburn	1930–1942	Premier of Ontario from 1934 to 1942.
—		Gordon Daniel Conant	1942–1943	Interim leader and Premier of Ontario.
11		Harry Nixon	1943–1944	Premier of Ontario for a short time in 1943.
—		Mitchell Hepburn	1945 (acting) (second tenure)	Acted as leader for a short time.
12		Farquhar Oliver	1945–1950	Leader of the Opposition.
13		Walter Thomson	1950–1954	Did not win a provincial seat.
—		Farquhar Oliver	1954–1958 (second time)	Leader of the Opposition.
14		John Wintermeyer	1958–1963	Leader of the Opposition.
—		Farquhar Oliver	1963–1964 (third time)	Interim leader.
15		Andy Thompson	1964–1966	Leader of the Opposition.
16		Robert Nixon	November 16, 1966 – January 25, 1976	Leader of the Opposition.
17		Stuart Smith	January 25, 1976 – December 23, 1981	Leader of the Opposition.
—		Robert Nixon	December 23, 1981 – February 22, 1982 (second time)	Interim leader.
18		David Peterson	February 22, 1982 – 1990	Premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990.
—		Robert Nixon	1990–1991 (third time)	Interim leader.
—		Murray Elston	1991	Interim leader.
—		Jim Bradley	November 19, 1991 – February 9, 1992	Interim leader.
19		Lyn McLeod	February 9, 1992 – December 1, 1996	First female leader.
20		Dalton McGuinty	December 1, 1996 – January 26, 2013	Premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013.
21		Kathleen Wynne	January 26, 2013 – June 7, 2018	Premier of Ontario. First openly LGBT leader and first female Premier of Ontario.
—		John Fraser	June 14, 2018 — March 7, 2020	Interim leader.
22		Steven Del Duca	March 7, 2020 – August 3, 2022	Led the party from outside the legislature.
—		John Fraser	August 3, 2022 — December 2, 2023 (second time)	Interim leader.
23		Bonnie Crombie	December 2, 2023 – present	Current leader.

Note: Some leaders were "interim" (temporary) or "unofficial" before the party had formal leadership elections.

Party Presidents

The party president is chosen at the party's annual general meeting. This person leads the party's executive council, which helps with developing policies and changing party rules. The current president is Kathryn McGarry.

Election Results

This chart shows the percentage of votes the Ontario Liberal Party received in provincial elections over the years.

This table shows how the Ontario Liberal Party has performed in provincial elections:

Year of election	Leader	# of seats	Change +/-	# of votes	% of popular vote	Standing	Legislative role	Government
1867	Edward Blake	41 / 82	41	77,689	48.8%	tie	Opposition	Conservative-led government
1871		43 / 82	2	68,366	52.3%	1st	Majority	Liberal majority
1875	Oliver Mowat	50 / 88	7	90,809	47.6%	1st	Majority
1879		57 / 88	7	119,148	48.1%	1st	Majority
1883		48 / 88	9	125,017	48.2%	1st	Majority
1886		57 / 90	9	153,282	48.4%	1st	Majority
1890		53 / 91	4	162,118	49.6%	1st	Majority
1894		45 / 94	8	153,826	41.0%	1st	Minority	Liberal working with other groups
1898	Arthur S. Hardy	51 / 94	6	202,332	47.3%	1st	Majority	Liberal majority
1902	George William Ross	50 / 98	1	206,709	47.5%	1st	Majority
1905		28 / 98	22	198,595	44.6%	2nd	Opposition	Conservative majority
1908	Alexander Grant MacKay	19 / 106	9	177,719	39.5%	2nd	Opposition
1911	Newton Rowell	22 / 106	3	142,245	38.5%	2nd	Opposition
1914		25 / 111	3	186,168	37.5%	2nd	Opposition
1919	Hartley Dewart	27 / 111	2	301,995	26.9%	2nd	Opposition	United Farmers of Ontario-Labour coalition.
1923	Wellington Hay	14 / 111	13	203,079	21.8%	3rd	Opposition1	Conservative majority.
1926	W.E.N. Sinclair	15 / 112	1	196,813	24.6%	2nd	Opposition
1929		13 / 112		23.8%	2nd	Opposition
1934	Mitchell Hepburn	69 / 90	51		50.4%	1st	Majority	Liberal majority
1937		65 / 90	4		51.6%	1st	Majority
1943	Harry Nixon	15 / 90	46		31.2%	3rd	Third party	Progressive Conservative minority
1945	Mitchell Hepburn	14 / 90	1		29.8%	2nd	Opposition	Progressive Conservative majority
1948	Farquhar Oliver	14 / 90			29.8%	3rd	Third party
1951	Walter Thomson	8 / 90	6		31.5%	2nd	Opposition
1955	Farquhar Oliver	11 / 98	3		33.3%	2nd	Opposition
1959	John Wintermeyer	22 / 98	10		36.6%	2nd	Opposition
1963		24 / 108	2		35.3%	2nd	Opposition
1967	Robert Nixon	28 / 117	4		31.6%	2nd	Opposition
1971		20 / 117	8		27.8%	2nd	Opposition
1975		36 / 125	20		34.3%	3rd	Third party	Progressive Conservative minority
1977	Stuart Smith	34 / 125	2		31.5%	2nd	Opposition
1981		34 / 125			33.7%	2nd	Opposition	Progressive Conservative majority
1985	David Peterson	48 / 125	14	1,377,965	37.9%	2nd	Minority	Progressive Conservative minority defeated, replaced by Liberal minority
1987		95 / 130	47	1,788,214	47.3%	1st	Majority	Liberal majority
1990		36 / 130	59	1,302,134	32.4%	2nd	Opposition	NDP majority
1995	Lyn McLeod	30 / 130	6	1,291,326	31.1%	2nd	Opposition	Progressive Conservative majority
1999	Dalton McGuinty	35 / 103	5	1,751,472	39.9%	2nd	Opposition
2003		72 / 103	37	2,090,001	46.5%	1st	Majority	Liberal majority
2007		71 / 107	1	1,867,192	42.2%	1st	Majority
2011		53 / 107	18	1,622,426	37.62%	1st	Minority	Liberal minority
2014	Kathleen Wynne	58 / 107	5	1,862,907	38.65%	1st	Majority	Liberal majority
2018		7 / 124	51	1,124,381	19.59%	3rd	No Status	Progressive Conservative majority
2022	Steven Del Duca	8 / 124	1	1,116,961	23.85%	3rd	No Status	Progressive Conservative majority

¹The Liberals were recognized as the Official Opposition after the 1923 election. This happened even though the United Farmers of Ontario had more seats. The Premier at the time made this decision.

See Also

In Spanish: Partido Liberal de Ontario para niños

• List of Ontario general elections
• List of Ontario Premiers
• List of political parties in Ontario
• Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)
• Liberal Party of Canada