{"id":231712,"date":"2019-09-20T23:40:29","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T03:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=231712"},"modified":"2019-09-20T23:40:29","modified_gmt":"2019-09-21T03:40:29","slug":"ontario-liberal-caucus-will-soon-drop-to-five-as-lalonde-wins-federal-nomination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/09\/20\/ontario-liberal-caucus-will-soon-drop-to-five-as-lalonde-wins-federal-nomination\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario Liberal caucus will soon drop to five as Lalonde wins federal nomination"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marie-France Lalonde was named late Thursday night as the Liberal Party of Canada candidate for Orleans, the same riding she currently holds provincially. (File Photo<\/a>: Marie-France Lalonde\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OTTAWA \u2014 Ontario’s provincial Liberals have lost another legislator after one of their members won the nomination to run for an Ottawa seat in next month’s federal election.<\/p>\n

Marie-France Lalonde was named late Thursday night as the Liberal Party of Canada candidate for Orleans, the same riding she currently holds provincially.<\/p>\n

A spokeswoman said Friday that Lalonde is expected to resign from the provincial legislature, meaning the Ontario Liberals will soon number just five members.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy campaign begins right now,\u201d Lalonde said in a statement. \u201cIn the last four months, my team has knocked on thousands of doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lalonde first won the riding for the party in 2014 succeeding Liberal legislator Phil McNeely.<\/p>\n

During her time in government, she served in a number of cabinet roles including francophone affairs minister and correctional services minister.<\/p>\n

Lalonde’s expected departure comes after Nathalie Des Rosiers left her Ottawa-Vanier seat this summer to take a position at Toronto’s Massey College.<\/p>\n

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said he didn’t think the party’s depleted ranks will hurt the rebuilding process that is underway.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt creates more work for us but if you take a look at opinion polls our brand is very strong,\u201d he said. \u201cOur work inside the legislature is very important and will be harder but it’s … about defending people’s interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Premier Doug Ford will now have to call a pair of provincial byelections and Fraser said he believes the party will have a chance to hold both ridings.<\/p>\n

Ottawa-Vanier and Orleans have largely been held by the Liberals over the past two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose things are never a given,\u201d he said. \u201cYou’ve got to go out and do the work every election.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former premier Kathleen Wynne, who is one of the five remaining members of the Liberal caucus, said she wouldn’t read too much into the resignations.<\/p>\n

\u201cNathalie Des Rosier got a great opportunity and she took it. People have a right to take those personal opportunities,\u201d she said. \u201cMarie-France Lalonde is in Ottawa. She wants to be close to home. I think it’s understandable she’d take this challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ontario Liberal party went from a majority of seats to just seven \u2014 not enough for official party status \u2014 in last year’s election that saw the Progressive Conservatives under Ford win a majority.<\/p>\n

The defeat was the worst in party history and prompted Wynne’s resignation, triggering a leadership race.<\/p>\n

Former cabinet ministers Steven Del Duca, Mitzie Hunter, and Michael Coteau and former party candidates Kate Graham and Alvin Tedjo are running for the party’s top job.<\/p>\n

The new leader will be selected at a party convention on March 7, 2020.<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2019.<\/p>\n

\u2014 With a file from Allison Jones<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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