LILLEY: Navdeep Bains assembling team for Ontario Liberal run to take on Doug Ford

The former Trudeau cabinet minister is looking to leave his high-paying corporate job at Rogers to take on Ford

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Published Apr 16, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

(File photo) Canada's new Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains (L) is congratulated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Nov. 4, 2015. AFP PHOTO/POOL/CHRIS WATTIE/Getty Images

Against the backdrop of the expansion of the Ontario Line subway, Premier Doug Ford faced questions on Thursday about potential opponents.

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Several media reports over the past few days have said a former federal Liberal cabinet minister is looking to seek the Ontario Liberal Leadership.

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Why Navdeep Bains, currently the chief corporate affairs officer at Rogers, would leave a well-paying corporate job with stock options and lots of perks to be leader of the third party at Queen’s Park is puzzling.

Bains, the former industry minister under prime minister Justin Trudeau, was widely seen as instrumental in getting the Rogers takeover of Shaw approved. That was likely aided by being close to his successor, François-Philippe Champagne, who as industry minister was needed to get the deal approved.

Will Bains want the pay cut?

At Rogers, Bains is likely making between $500,000 and $1 million per year along with bonuses, stock options and perks like access to concerts, sporting events and more. At Queen’s Park, MPPs make $157,350 a year for a job that is seven days a week and takes up your time at all hours.

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MPPs are also forbidden from taking offers of free tickets and being wined – and dined on someone’s corporate card is also not allowed.

To make matters worse, if Bains did run to become Liberal leader, he wouldn’t have a seat, so any salary would have to come from the Ontario Liberal Party, which isn’t exactly flush with cash.

Despite all this, it appears Bains is serious about running with one Liberal describing how he was working the federal convention in Montreal last weekend. Another Liberal source said he’s gone so far as to be assembling a team for the run.

Several current and former GTA federal Liberals are also encouraging him to run.

Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith speaks to reporters outside of the Liberal caucus room on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Photo by Bryan Passifiume /Toronto Sun

Erskine-Smith also seeking the job

Right now, the only declared candidate for the Ontario Liberal leadership is Beaches East York federal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.

He’s known as a maverick within his party, has had trouble getting along in his own caucus, served in Mark Carney’s cabinet from Mid-March of last year until the election and wasn’t reappointed.

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He also ran and finished second in the 2023 Ontario Liberal leadership race, losing to Bonnie Crombie.

With Erskine-Smith seen as the front runner, there are backroom Liberals looking to find someone else to run.

“If Erskine-Smith wins the leadership, Doug Ford will win the next election,” one longtime Ontario Liberal said.

Erskine-Smith is seen as being very much on the left of the Liberal Party and would look to move party policy away from the centre and closer to the NDP. That’s a move that would alienate middle-of-the-road voters but potentially inspire party activists who have moved increasingly in a leftward direction.

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Ford says run Mickey Mouse against him

Sitting back and watching this all with a smile on his face is Ford.

“I don’t care who runs. You could run Mickey Mouse against me, Donald Duck, I don’t care,” Ford said Thursday when asked about his potential opponents.

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“I’m focusing on Ontario. I’m focusing on creating jobs and economic development, building the largest transit system in North America. That’s what I’m focused on. They can focus on whatever they need to do, and good luck to them.”

Luck is what the Ontario Liberals will need.

Erskine-Smith is unlikely to return the party to power unless Ford has a real stumble and falls out with voters. The average of recent polls from polling aggregator 338Canada.com puts Ford’s PCs at 44% voter support, the leaderless Liberals at 30%, the NDP under Marit Stiles at 18%, and Mike Schreiner and the Greens at 5%.

As a more centrist candidate, Bains might be able to appeal to middle of the road suburban voters who have embraced Ford of late. The question is why he would want to take a job that comes with lower pay and higher risk.

Whoever takes over the Ontario Liberal Party has a big job ahead of them. The party infrastructure is decimated and fixing that will mean long weeks on the road visiting church basements in Meaford, the Rotary Club in Sarnia and the county fair in Timmins.

That’s the life that whoever takes on this job is looking at.

Good luck.

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