Leadership candidate offers scathing review of Liberal government

Ontario Liberal leadership contender Michael Coteau is offering up a scathing review of the former Liberal government’s final years in office, calling it “arrogant and aloof” and out of touch with voters’ concerns.

In a policy paper that outlines a number of initiatives he wants the Liberal Party to pursue, Coteau said those running for the leadership need to be “honest and upfront” about the government’s 15 years in office.

Coteau said the party shouldn’t blame the “populist wave” that swept Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives into power, and should be more introspective about the reasons behind the resounding defeat with Kathleen Wynne at the helm.

“We were removed from office in 2018 because we lost the trust of Ontarians,” Coteau wrote. “Our government fell far short on consulting with and listening to people.”

We appeared arrogant and aloof when we did not recognize, correct and apologize for our mistakes. We lost touch with Ontarians' concerns.”

Coteau was a cabinet minister in that government between 2013 and 2018. He was one of just seven Liberal MPPs who were re-elected in June 2018.

But while Coteau doesn’t pull any punches in his criticism of his own party, he is equally critical of Premier Doug Ford’s government accusing it of “squandering public trust and confidence” faster than the Liberals did.

“The Ford Conservatives have not, quite simply, delivered anything close to the change Ontarians might have hoped they were voting for,” Coteau wrote.

Coteau seems to be positioning himself as the anti-Ford candidate in the leadership race, hoping it will help him leapfrog over his rival and perceived frontrunner, former cabinet minister Steven Del Duca.

Coteau announced today that, as leader, he would strive to strike a more civil tone in the legislature and hold meetings with opposition MPPs, strengthen conflict-of-interest laws and eliminate the use of government resources for “blatant political propaganda.”

The leadership candidate said he also wants the party to champion the idea of lowering the provincial voting age to 16.

Coteau is one of five declared candidates in the race along with, Del Duca, Mitzie Hunter, Alvin Tedjo and Kate Graham.

The next leader of the party will be selected on March 7, 2020.