# 2026 Ontario Liberal Leadership Debate — transcript by speaker

Source: [OntarioLiberalTV on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94)  
Date: August 10, 2026  

> This transcript was generated by machine. The speaker-organized section contains the timed main answers and lightning-round turns that can be attributed confidently from the moderator's speaking order. The source was not continuously speaker-diarized, so open-debate exchanges are preserved in the complete chronological transcript below rather than assigned speculatively. Verify quotations against the linked video.

## Speaker-organized candidate responses

### Navdeep Bains

#### Leadership — main answer — [00:25:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=1528s)

[00:25:28] Well, thank you very much for your question there, Tina.
[00:25:31] And just to build on what Lee said, we need a united front.
[00:25:34] And as Dylan also highlighted, we've got to focus on not what we stand against, but what we stand for.
[00:25:40] And I demonstrated that at a very young age when I was first elected at the age of 26.
[00:25:45] And I recall at that time I was told, you know, don't put your name on a flyer.
[00:25:51] You know, people may not vote for you.
[00:25:53] I did not listen to that advice.
[00:25:55] I went and knocked on every door.
[00:25:57] I went out there and told people what I believe in.
[00:26:00] And people are looking for that authentic leadership.
[00:26:02] And I have a track record of winning.
[00:26:04] I won five elections.
[00:26:06] And that enabled me to understand what works and what doesn't work.
[00:26:09] And what works is you need to build a strong team, a strong team of candidates, and you need to have a comprehensive plan.
[00:26:15] And that's what I will do as a leader.
[00:26:17] I've done it before federally.
[00:26:19] I took the Liberals from third to first, and I plan to do that provincially as well.
[00:26:23] Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[00:26:24] I'm going to open the floor up now for rebuttals and open debate, and I'll kick it off with a question.

#### Leadership — lightning round — [00:37:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2259s)

[00:37:39] When it comes to connecting with voters, we have to focus on the economy.
[00:37:44] That includes cost of living, jobs, and a growth plan that will help people prosper throughout the province.
[00:37:49] Okay, thank you, Navdeep Bains.

#### Affordability — main answer — [00:39:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2340s)

[00:39:00] and how would you pay for it?
[00:39:02] Look, to make life more affordable,
[00:39:04] the number one issue I hear about when we talk about cost of living
[00:39:07] is the difficulties people are finding to pay for groceries.
[00:39:13] You know, one in four people that visit the food bank actually have a job.
[00:39:17] How ridiculous is that?
[00:39:18] That one in four people that visit the food bank
[00:39:21] do what they're supposed to do, which is go to work,
[00:39:24] and they still can't make ends meet.
[00:39:25] So I would focus on a number of measures to help people make ends meet when it comes to paying for their groceries.
[00:39:32] One would be to increase consumer protections for surveillance practices that exist on pricing.
[00:39:40] Second would be to make sure we grow more here in Ontario.
[00:39:43] I was in Leamington and I saw firsthand the greenhouses that exist there
[00:39:46] and the opportunities to grow more locally to help people afford groceries.
[00:39:50] And lastly, I would make sure we make changes to leases and property arrangements that exist to create more competition in this space.
[00:39:59] So these are specific measures to make sure that people can afford groceries.
[00:40:04] Ultimately, affordability has many components to it.

#### Affordability — lightning round — [00:50:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3004s)

[00:50:04] Well, the biggest misconception is that people believe I'm a frontrunner.
[00:50:09] I've learned a long time ago not to take anything for granted and work hard.
[00:50:12] So again, the biggest misconception is never take anything for granted.
[00:50:15] Okay, thank you, Navdeep Bains. Stephanie Bowman?

#### Health care — main answer — [00:53:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3235s)

[00:53:55] Oh, I would do everything differently than the Ford government when it comes to health care.
[00:53:59] They've made things so, so bad.
[00:54:01] This is an issue I hear about all the time, no matter where I travel.
[00:54:05] I started my campaign in Windsor.
[00:54:07] I just came back from Thunder Bay.
[00:54:08] And it's the same story.
[00:54:10] People cannot access family physicians.
[00:54:13] 2.5 million people in Ontario don't have access to a family physician.
[00:54:17] Wait times have doubled under Doug Ford and gone really, really bad.
[00:54:21] This puts pressure on hallway medicine, puts pressure on hospitals that are dealing with deficits.
[00:54:26] They have to make more cuts.
[00:54:28] Let's put pressure on the nurses and health care professionals.
[00:54:31] The system is on life support.
[00:54:34] The investments in health care are so important because it's not only for people's well-being and the health outcomes,
[00:54:40] it's also important for the economy.
[00:54:43] And that's what I believe in.
[00:54:44] This is why liberals are different than the conservatives.
[00:54:47] Investments in health care are good for the economy.
[00:54:50] Okay, thank you, Navdeep.
[00:54:51] Next, we will go to Dylan Marando.
[00:54:53] What would you do differently from the Ford government?

#### Health care — lightning round — [01:04:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3856s)

[01:04:16] Navdeep Bains, one area where government should spend less is?
[01:04:19] One area where the government should spend less on are self-promotional ads.
[01:04:25] Hundreds of millions of dollars on promoting themselves
[01:04:27] and not investing in health care and education.
[01:04:30] That's completely unacceptable.
[01:04:32] Thank you, Navdeep.

#### Education — main answer — [01:05:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3929s)

[01:05:29] Look, Tina, this is a very simple strategy that the Conservatives deploy.
[01:05:35] When things don't work out, it's the blame game.
[01:05:37] If kids' test scores are going down, oh, we're going to blame the teachers, we're going
[01:05:41] to blame the school board trustees.
[01:05:44] I think of my own experience when I started in the opening remarks, I talked about my
[01:05:47] upbringing and going through the public education system.
[01:05:50] It was very clear that I had the supports that I needed.
[01:05:53] My grade 6 teacher, Mrs. Oguino, spent time with me to set me on the right track when
[01:05:58] I was struggling.
[01:06:00] That's what we need from our education system.
[01:06:02] More resources, more support, smaller classroom sizes, so kids have an actual chance to succeed.
[01:06:08] And the reality today is this government just blames folks.
[01:06:12] And that's why half the kids can't even meet the provincial standards for math.
[01:06:17] Think about it.
[01:06:18] We've talked about AI and innovation and the disruption we're seeing in society.
[01:06:21] How are we setting up kids for success if they can't even get the basics right?
[01:06:25] That's why education is so important to me.
[01:06:27] It is the greatest equalizer we have in society and I would make sure, I wouldn't blame anyone
[01:06:31] to provide them with the appropriate resources they need.
[01:06:34] Thank you, Navdeep Bains.

#### Education — lightning round — [01:20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4800s)

[01:20:00] One job that I had was being a co-chair for a national campaign.
[01:20:04] And that taught me the importance of building a strong team and recruiting great candidates.
[01:20:09] In order to be Doug Ford, we need a strong team and a strong plan.
[01:20:13] And I have experience doing both.
[01:20:14] Okay, thank you.

#### Economy and tariffs — main answer — [01:25:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=5134s)

[01:25:34] And I can tell you very clearly that I fought hard for protecting the automotive sector.
[01:25:40] I can also tell you that we need to be unified.
[01:25:43] There will be no separation between myself and the other premiers and the prime minister
[01:25:47] when it comes to defending Canada's interests.
[01:25:50] But we've got to focus on what we can control.
[01:25:52] I just came back from Thunder Bay.
[01:25:54] Why haven't we twinned Highway 11 and 17?
[01:25:58] Why haven't we twinned Highway 69 and completed that?
[01:26:01] I mean, these are enormous opportunities
[01:26:03] for us to control our own destiny
[01:26:05] by investing in an infrastructure
[01:26:07] that would allow us to take advantage of the North.
[01:26:10] The North should not be an afterthought.
[01:26:12] The challenge is that this Premier likes to play this game
[01:26:16] regarding Donald Trump, but is not making the investments that he needs to.
[01:26:20] I've got a track record, and I would work with my federal colleagues
[01:26:23] to take advantage of market access to help our businesses
[01:26:25] to create more local jobs as well.
[01:26:27] Okay, finally, we'll go to Stephanie Bowman.
[01:26:30] What did Ford get right that the Liberals missed,
[01:26:32] and how would you have responded to Ontarians' concerns about U.S. tariffs?

### Stephanie Bowman

#### Leadership — main answer — [00:22:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=1323s)

[00:22:06] Thank you, Tina. You know, I put my name on the ballot in the 2022 election,
[00:22:11] and my team and I had a plan. We had a plan to win. And even when Doug Ford put Mark Saunders,
[00:22:18] the former police chief, up against me, we just kept working that plan and we won.
[00:22:23] And the Ontario Liberal Party can't wait for the next election to rebuild. We need to start now,
[00:22:28] listening to our members across this whole province, urban, rural, suburban, the north,
[00:22:34] and listen to what they have to say about what our party needs.
[00:22:37] We need to make sure we are nominating candidates early.
[00:22:40] We need to make sure we give every riding association a chance to win
[00:22:44] by giving them the resources and the supports that they need.
[00:22:47] We need to make sure that we are putting forward ideas that show
[00:22:51] that we know how to deliver economic prosperity for this province.
[00:22:55] And we need to show that we will respect every taxpayer dollar,
[00:22:58] And that's what I've been fighting and talking about since being elected in 2022 at Queen's Park.
[00:23:03] Holding this government to account every single day and fighting for our constituents and my constituents and people across the province.
[00:23:11] That's time for you, Stephanie Bowman.
[00:23:12] Dylan Marando, over to you.
[00:23:13] What makes you different from former Liberal leaders that have tried and failed to rebuild the party and take on Doug Ford?

#### Leadership — lightning round — [00:36:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2207s)

[00:36:47] We need to make sure our party is strong.
[00:36:51] We need to make sure that we call early elections and that we have candidates who are ready and willing to fight hard in every single riding across this province to win.

#### Affordability — main answer — [00:40:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2406s)

[00:40:06] That's time. Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[00:40:08] Stephanie Bowman, you're up next.
[00:40:10] You know, Tina, Doug Ford doesn't understand budgets and he doesn't understand affordability.
[00:40:17] And he's not using your tax dollars wisely.
[00:40:19] we need to make sure that we are using those tax dollars to put money back into people's pockets
[00:40:25] I've been talking about Queen's Park about a middle income tax cut I would deliver that
[00:40:31] I've been talking about a small business tax cut that would help small businesses thrive in this
[00:40:36] province you know under this Doug Ford government more small businesses are closing than are opening
[00:40:41] and that's hurting our economy I would make sure that we are building enough housing so that housing
[00:40:46] is affordable. I hear parents worried about their children. In fact, their children are moving out of
[00:40:51] the province because they can't afford a home here. We need to make sure that we are actually
[00:40:56] putting solutions forward to get homes built so that people can build their lives here. And I
[00:41:02] would make sure that young people can get their first job. I tabled a youth career fund that would
[00:41:08] actually help about 75,000 young people get their first job and help small and medium-sized
[00:41:13] enterprises. These are the kind of initiatives that you can put forward. That's time for you, Stephanie Bowman.
[00:41:16] Next, we will go to Eric Lombardi.
[00:41:19] How would you make life more affordable?

#### Affordability — lightning round — [00:50:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3017s)

[00:50:17] I would say the biggest misconception about me is that I've come to the party late.
[00:50:23] I've been at this work since I was elected in 2022.
[00:50:27] I've helped out in seven by-elections and helped get Liberals elected,
[00:50:30] and that's what I'm going to do when I'm leader.

#### Health care — main answer — [00:51:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3096s)

[00:51:36] Thank you, Tina.
[00:51:38] Look, without a strong economy, we can't pay for health care.
[00:51:41] We can't pay for any of the services that people rely on.
[00:51:44] And under this Doug Ford government, we have seen health care crumble.
[00:51:49] We have seen ERs in rural communities close.
[00:51:52] We have seen wait times increase.
[00:51:54] We have seen more and more people treated in hallways.
[00:51:58] That's because this government has not got a plan.
[00:52:01] And I will not stand here and say that there is a single solution or that the solutions will be easy.
[00:52:06] We need to listen to the voices of doctors and nurses and PSWs and the janitors who work in hospitals
[00:52:12] to make sure that we are bringing forward creative solutions.
[00:52:16] For example, centralized referral.
[00:52:18] In the UK, they've got a system where your doctor gives you a referral and you go online
[00:52:22] and you can pick the doctor that's closest to you or the one that you've got the best rating.
[00:52:26] We need to make sure that we are listening to the workers, the people who know what it takes.
[00:52:32] And in terms of funding, again, growing our economy is the number one thing that we can do to pay for health care.
[00:52:37] Wasting taxpayer dollars.
[00:52:39] Thank you, Stephanie Bowman.

#### Health care — lightning round — [01:03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3820s)

[01:03:40] Making their rich friends richer.
[01:03:43] We've seen this government find solutions to problems that don't exist.
[01:03:48] We need to stop that now.
[01:03:50] Okay, and Lee Fairclough?

#### Education — main answer — [01:09:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4142s)

[01:09:06] Tina, I would like this government to focus on doing its job.
[01:09:10] and that includes on education.
[01:09:13] We know that the school system is crumbling.
[01:09:16] I've got parents coming to me and talking about how their children
[01:09:19] with special needs can't get the support that they need.
[01:09:23] I've got teachers who talk to me about how they're just counting the days
[01:09:26] till they can retire because the classrooms are not safe,
[01:09:30] because there are not enough adults in the classroom.
[01:09:33] I visit my local schools and I hear them say,
[01:09:35] oh yeah, last year we had one and a half special ed teachers.
[01:09:38] This fall we'll only have one.
[01:09:39] This government is cutting education and our children are paying the price for that.
[01:09:45] We need to make sure that we are investing in our children's education and that includes making sure we have enough adults in the classroom.
[01:09:52] That includes making sure that we listen to teachers about what the curriculum needs to do and how it needs to evolve to allow our children to be ready for what's next when it comes to the world of AI.
[01:10:03] And how do they cope with the mental health challenges that they're facing.

#### Education — lightning round — [01:21:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4862s)

[01:21:02] Tina, my service on the board of the Bank of Canada taught me how important the economic institutions are that people rely on for our prosperity and opportunity.
[01:21:11] and we need to make sure as Ontario Liberals
[01:21:14] that we are focused on delivering an economy
[01:21:16] that everybody can contribute to and can benefit from.

#### Economy and tariffs — main answer — [01:26:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=5194s)

[01:26:36] Tina, as the finance and trade critic for the Ontario Liberal Caucus,
[01:26:40] I have been laser-focused on exactly these kinds of issues.
[01:26:45] Ontario can be a powerhouse.
[01:26:47] But under this government, we've actually been a laggard on the Canadian economy.
[01:26:51] We've dragged it down.
[01:26:53] And we know that if we diversify our economy,
[01:26:56] we can create jobs and wealth for people across this province.
[01:27:00] Recently, I was at a greenhouse in Leamington.
[01:27:03] We can be a powerhouse in agriculture like that greenhouse farmer is doing
[01:27:08] if we're investing in things and making sure that our grid is ready to take those kinds of investments.
[01:27:13] We know that we can draw tourists here.
[01:27:16] You know, the Tourism Association has been asking for a few million dollars
[01:27:19] to do some advertising outside of Ontario to draw in tourists here.
[01:27:23] We can be a superpower in energy because we've got the talent and the resources to do that.
[01:27:29] But to do that, we need a leader that understands the economy,
[01:27:33] that understands how business works and how to partner with businesses.
[01:27:36] And that leader is me.
[01:27:37] Okay, thank you, Stephanie Bowman.

### Lee Fairclough

#### Leadership — main answer — [00:24:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=1454s)

[00:24:16] It's time for serious government in Ontario.
[00:24:21] Unlike leaders of the last eight years, I have a seat.
[00:24:25] And I am a sharp contrast to Doug Ford.
[00:24:27] And I also know it is critical that we rebuild our party
[00:24:32] because voters are looking for us to be ready.
[00:24:36] First thing I would do as leader is to unify our party.
[00:24:41] I'd invite all these candidates on the stage and their teams to be part of our future
[00:24:45] and to build against the Conservatives.
[00:24:49] I would make sure that we are building from the grassroots up,
[00:24:53] working with local associations, our rural commissions and northern commissions
[00:24:57] and young liberals, and I would show up as a leader in communities with them
[00:25:02] so Ontarians knew how we would solve any problem.
[00:25:06] I would make sure we found talent quickly and give them lots of runway to run.
[00:25:10] And I would create a culture where every voice in our party is valued and modernize our party.
[00:25:17] I've put a policy out with more details on this.
[00:25:20] That's time. Thank you, Lee Fairclough.
[00:25:22] And finally, Navdeep Bains, what makes you different from former Liberal leaders
[00:25:25] that have tried and failed to rebuild the party and take on Doug Ford?

#### Leadership — lightning round — [00:37:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2242s)

[00:37:22] As we build as Liberals, we need to fundraise to make sure that we can achieve what we need to,
[00:37:27] because that is actually how we will be able to address the problems of Ontarians.

#### Affordability — main answer — [00:42:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2538s)

[00:42:20] I know that many of you are struggling,
[00:42:24] especially young people,
[00:42:26] and the proportion of your income
[00:42:28] that is going to your rent and your housing
[00:42:30] has only increased.
[00:42:31] And as the mom of teenage boys,
[00:42:33] when I go to the grocery store,
[00:42:35] I think all the time
[00:42:36] how difficult it is getting for people.
[00:42:39] And then I get really angry,
[00:42:41] and this is how I would pay
[00:42:42] for some of these changes I'm going to suggest.
[00:42:44] When I look at the waste of this government, you know, investing in luxury jets, tunnels on the 401, and expense scandals, it's a disregard for what you are facing.
[00:42:57] I would make sure that I reverse the decision on OSAP so families knew that education was in reach for young people and see that as investment for them.
[00:43:06] I would make sure that we adjust the regulations to stop soaring rents at the moment and the increasing homelessness that we're seeing, especially among seniors.
[00:43:17] And I would make sure that there were jobs that also support for young people that were coupled with small and medium-sized businesses so that we can grow the economy and support the economy.

#### Affordability — lightning round — [00:50:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3044s)

[00:50:44] The biggest misconception about me is that I'm only about health care.
[00:50:49] And having worked in health care for so many years, I've worked across government
[00:50:53] and know as well so much about public finances.
[00:50:56] And in this job now, I have realized coming to Queen's Park just how much we need to do.
[00:51:02] across every file of government, including the economy.
[00:51:06] Okay, thank you, Lee Fairclough.
[00:51:08] Thank you to all the candidates.

#### Health care — main answer — [00:52:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3160s)

[00:52:41] Lee Fairclough, you're up next.
[00:52:43] I have consistently heard from people across Ontario that health care matters to them.
[00:52:48] And it matters to me.
[00:52:50] It's why I actually ran for office.
[00:52:54] And Doug Ford and the Conservatives,
[00:52:57] health care is not a priority to them.
[00:53:00] And I can tell you one thing I would stop right away
[00:53:02] that would stop the waste,
[00:53:03] which is paying three times as much for the same service
[00:53:07] in a private environment than in a public.
[00:53:10] That has got to stop.
[00:53:13] As Premier, I would bring a focus back to patients
[00:53:17] and the outcomes that they need.
[00:53:19] I would make sure that people can get access
[00:53:22] to team-based primary care,
[00:53:25] I would finish the job for this government.
[00:53:27] We need to make sure that dollars
[00:53:29] are being spent on keeping people well.
[00:53:31] I would prioritize access to mental health care
[00:53:35] for young people to get upstream on these issues.
[00:53:39] It is time for a government
[00:53:41] that prioritizes health care again,
[00:53:43] sees it as an investment in people,
[00:53:45] and sees it as an investment in our economic prosperity.
[00:53:48] Thank you, Lee.
[00:53:49] Navdeep Bains is next.
[00:53:50] What would you do differently from the Ford government,
[00:53:52] and what budget trade-offs would you make to fund your health care plan?

#### Health care — lightning round — [01:03:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3834s)

[01:03:54] I think that there's so many priorities of this government that could be different.
[01:03:59] Fantasy projects of Doug Ford are among the top of my list.
[01:04:03] Money to dig a tunnel under the 401, put a new convention center in Lake Ontario.
[01:04:08] is our random thoughts, and yet we are not prioritizing the real needs of people in Ontario.
[01:04:15] Okay, thank you, Lee.

#### Education — main answer — [01:07:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4068s)

[01:07:52] When I look at what has happened with education, there has not been a focus that is needed on our kids.
[01:08:00] This whole, you know, what we are seeing with this government is just a power grab.
[01:08:05] We are seeing it in the education system.
[01:08:07] We're seeing it in the conservation authorities.
[01:08:09] We're seeing it in the appointment of regional chairs.
[01:08:12] I do believe that we need to have accountability, especially for our public funds, especially when it involves our kids' education.
[01:08:21] And I have worked and reported to a board myself.
[01:08:25] I took that very seriously in the use of taxpayer money and making sure that we are giving people the health care they need.
[01:08:32] If a board is not actually doing the right thing, they should be held accountable.
[01:08:38] But this is not what has happened here.
[01:08:40] Let's not kid ourselves.
[01:08:42] This has been a matter of Doug Ford and the Minister of Education deciding that they are going to reduce all the powers, make the decisions about education for our kids.
[01:08:53] I would change that. I would make sure that we had class sizes that met targets.
[01:08:57] I would make sure.
[01:08:59] That's time.
[01:09:00] Stephanie Bowman, when do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park to step in and overrule a local institution?

#### Education — lightning round — [01:20:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4834s)

[01:20:34] As an executive at a hospital, there are so many important roles that people play
[01:20:39] just to make sure that we can deliver the care that we need to.
[01:20:44] As I've come into politics, this is such a team sport.
[01:20:47] And it's really recognizing that we need to invite people in, hear their voices, and make sure that everybody can be part of the change.

#### Economy and tariffs — main answer — [01:21:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4919s)

[01:21:59] I think it's really important that the Premier of Ontario
[01:22:03] is looking to restore business investment productivity
[01:22:08] and confidence for investors.
[01:22:11] And that will happen by reducing some of the friction and uncertainty.
[01:22:14] And I would say that Doug Ford's fantasy projects do nothing to help that.
[01:22:21] I would build things faster.
[01:22:23] I would make sure that we focus Ontario procurement.
[01:22:27] You asked about something good that we did.
[01:22:29] We did pass laws that started moving in that direction
[01:22:32] to make sure that we were procuring within Ontario.
[01:22:36] And we need to modernize our growth around AI, around electricity, and around precious minerals.
[01:22:42] We have so much strength.
[01:22:43] When I was in the north, I saw it in mining, in forestry, a $51 billion agriculture sector.
[01:22:50] We can do so much more locally in Ontario, and the Premier needs to lean into that strength.
[01:22:57] The government also needs to be a partner to municipalities and communities
[01:23:00] so they can recruit the talent that they need to create strong economies.
[01:23:05] I would also reverse the decisions of Doug Ford, who cancelled all the green energy projects.
[01:23:11] That's time. Thank you, Lee. We'll go to Dylan Marando next.
[01:23:13] Dylan, what did Ford get right that the Liberals missed,
[01:23:16] and how would you have responded to Ontarians' concerns about U.S. tariffs?

### Eric Lombardi

#### Leadership — main answer — [00:20:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=1254s)

[00:20:54] If we want to win government again, we need to inspire, we need to grow our tent, and we need to
[00:20:59] operate with greater excellence. Our past leaders, you'll hear, they didn't have a seat in the House,
[00:21:05] But the reality is we did not put risks and make ideas a center of our campaign.
[00:21:12] Ontarians get inspired by liberal leaders.
[00:21:15] They don't look to us for the same things as conservatives.
[00:21:18] And so when we don't do the work to tell them where we stand, where we drive the issues that matter to people,
[00:21:25] where we reflect on the systems that are no longer working for them,
[00:21:28] people can't tell that we're operating with authenticity.
[00:21:32] authenticity and voters know an inauthentic politician from a kilometer away. So if we want to win again, we have to first attract
[00:21:41] talented candidates that Ontarians can imagine can serve them well in government.
[00:21:46] We've got to operate our technology and infrastructure so that we're on the ground across the province and able to deliver our presence
[00:21:53] everywhere. So people know that our party sees them, hears them.
[00:21:57] Thank you, Eric Lombardi. That's time. Stephanie Bowman, over to you.
[00:22:00] what makes you different from other Liberal leaders who have failed to take on Doug Ford?

#### Leadership — lightning round — [00:36:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2191s)

[00:36:31] Being themselves and showing authenticity,
[00:36:33] I think we worry too much about communications and not in connecting with people.
[00:36:38] Thank you, Eric Lombardi.

#### Affordability — main answer — [00:41:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2480s)

[00:41:21] We have got to fix our broken housing system in Ontario.
[00:41:24] It's 30% of the average household's budget.
[00:41:27] And when we look at the last 20 years, the cost of housing relative to incomes for both rent and ownership have more than doubled.
[00:41:34] And that means reduced savings. That means less spending and less ability for people to take risks.
[00:41:39] So that means we have to do land use reform. It means we need to do permitting reform.
[00:41:44] It means we need to do building code reform to make housing more beautiful.
[00:41:48] And it means that we need to deliver a new deal to Ontario's municipalities
[00:41:52] so that they can pay for the infrastructure needs that they have
[00:41:56] and allow our housing system to enable young people to afford good lives and families.
[00:42:02] And so if we don't get this right, almost everything else in our economy
[00:42:06] suffers because at the end of the day, people are not just nurses and teachers.
[00:42:10] They're people who need full lives and a full life is lived in a good home
[00:42:14] and we've got to fix it.
[00:42:16] Okay, finally, Lee Fairclough,
[00:42:17] how would you make life more affordable?

#### Affordability — lightning round — [00:50:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3035s)

[00:50:35] The ideas that I've put forward don't matter, but I know that they do.
[00:50:39] I know people are paying attention. I know voters want to see more substance.
[00:50:42] Thank you, Eric Lombardi. And Lee Fairclough.

#### Health care — main answer — [00:55:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3349s)

[00:55:50] We need wait times measured in days and weeks rather than months and years.
[00:55:54] And my plan is already fully costed on my platform, and you can go check it out.
[00:55:58] And solving this problem of capacity means adding capacity.
[00:56:02] That means more doctors, more nurses, more beds, and more technology, and less paperwork, less bureaucracy, and less dysfunction.
[00:56:09] We need to tie every Ontarian to a local health network.
[00:56:11] We need to invest in rapid diagnostic centers and double the number of MRIs, in particular in this province, so people can get access to care.
[00:56:19] We need to tie emergency with urgent care so people can get triaged and treated faster.
[00:56:25] We need to look at the innovative capacity of our system, do broader procurement across hospitals, and adopt technology faster.
[00:56:33] Going to your family physician and getting referral should not be, hey, I know a guy, I'll send a fax.
[00:56:39] That's ridiculous and we all know it.
[00:56:41] We need to have digital health records, universal referral systems, and the ability to access treatment and care,
[00:56:46] especially for those with unique circumstances.
[00:56:49] And that's how we fix health care in Ontario.
[00:56:52] Okay, thank you, Eric Lombardi.

#### Health care — lightning round — [01:04:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3891s)

[01:04:51] We need to stop outsourcing our state capacity to private public consortiums that have doubled,
[01:04:57] tripled or quadrupled the cost of building infrastructure in this province. Okay thank

#### Education — main answer — [01:06:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3995s)

[01:06:35] Next we'll go to Eric Lombardi.
[01:06:38] When do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park to step in and overrule a local
[01:06:42] institution?
[01:06:43] Look, I think it's important that we have proper electoral reform in Ontario, as well
[01:06:48] as well as looking to local leaders in order to represent their people properly.
[01:06:53] That said, we have a role in the province to set better standards for how we do procedures.
[01:06:58] If you look at the housing system, we have 440 municipalities making up effectively the
[01:07:03] same policy prescriptions.
[01:07:04] And so we have to look to aid our partners rather than bulldoze them in particular.
[01:07:11] And when it comes to things like education, we need to trust people at the ends of the
[01:07:15] system.
[01:07:16] And I do think that we've over-concentrated power, not just at the end in the Premier's
[01:07:20] office, but in the middle.
[01:07:22] And so we need to look to our systems to devolve power back to where the decisions can be best
[01:07:27] made and best accountable.
[01:07:28] And for our schools in particular, that is at the individual school level.
[01:07:33] But broadly speaking, when it comes to electoral trust, we can't just shift chairs on the Titanic.
[01:07:39] We have to look at the problems for what they are and offer concrete solutions to solve
[01:07:43] them for what they are.
[01:07:44] Okay.
[01:07:45] Thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[01:07:46] When do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park to step in and overrule a local institution?

#### Education — lightning round — [01:20:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4821s)

[01:20:21] When I was in high school, I used to ref soccer.
[01:20:23] And what I learned is that if you maintain order properly, you can get a team to work effectively.
[01:20:28] Okay, thank you, Eric Lombardi.

#### Economy and tariffs — main answer — [01:24:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=5057s)

[01:24:17] Thank you, Dylan Marando. Eric Lombardi, you're up next.
[01:24:20] Well, what they got right is that they talked about it and focused on economic security and job protection as the focus of their campaign.
[01:24:26] But what we also need to recognize is that economic security is about being able to sell
[01:24:31] to the world what it needs and cannot get elsewhere.
[01:24:35] And so we should avoid the protectionist impulse and look what our extraordinary advantages
[01:24:39] are in this province.
[01:24:41] We've got talent, we've got land, we've got incredibly complex industry.
[01:24:45] We have a major potential role to play in the future of robotics.
[01:24:49] AI was invented here.
[01:24:51] We can scale IP services and goods and sell to the world.
[01:24:56] And in doing so, we can bring back the best value-added jobs to Ontario.
[01:25:00] We can tax that efficiently and fairly, so we can provide a level of human welfare, the
[01:25:05] fitting of an advanced society.
[01:25:09] Taiwan doesn't protect its interests because, you know, we like the Taiwanese.
[01:25:13] Their interests get protected because they are critical to the semiconductor supply chain.
[01:25:17] And so Ontario, if we want to navigate the future risks of a multipolar, hegemonic world,
[01:25:24] we'd have security through great economics.
[01:25:28] Thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[01:25:29] Navdeep Bains, you're next.
[01:25:31] Well, Tina, I've dealt with Donald Trump in his first term as industry minister.

### Dylan Marando

#### Leadership — main answer — [00:23:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=1396s)

[00:23:19] The milk has soured on Doug Ford.
[00:23:23] And shortly, it's going to be chunky.
[00:23:26] So our job is not to oppose. Our job is to propose. We need to become an alternative to this government. We need to show that we are ready to govern, that we have a team that knows how to govern.
[00:23:42] And let's not forget, for 42 years, Liberals thought all they needed was a seat in the House.
[00:23:50] For 42 years, Liberals thought a victory was going to come to them.
[00:23:55] But they didn't win until a 38-year-old leader built a team that inspired confidence in Ontarians.
[00:24:03] And my hunch is that we need that same kind of leadership again.
[00:24:08] Thank you, Dylan Marando.
[00:24:09] Lee Fairclough, you're up next.
[00:24:11] what makes you different from former Liberal leaders
[00:24:13] that have tried and failed to rebuild the party?

#### Leadership — lightning round — [00:37:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2228s)

[00:37:08] They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk.
[00:37:10] And that's what we do as Liberals.
[00:37:12] We get the job done.
[00:37:13] Thank you, Dylan.

#### Affordability — main answer — [00:38:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2295s)

[00:38:18] Affordability is going to be my priority on day one.
[00:38:23] I worked in the Prime Minister's office during COVID.
[00:38:26] I saw how fast a government can work when it wants to work.
[00:38:31] The reason Doug Ford has delivered nothing on affordability for eight years
[00:38:36] is because he doesn't care.
[00:38:38] He doesn't care about you.
[00:38:40] He cares about the boys in the back room.
[00:38:42] He cares about private jets.
[00:38:44] He cares about luxury hotels.
[00:38:45] But he doesn't care about delivering affordability now.
[00:38:50] That's going to be my priority.
[00:38:51] Higher wages, a tax cut, and more affordable services.
[00:38:56] Thank you, Dylan Marando.
[00:38:57] Navdeep Bains, what would you do to make life more affordable

#### Affordability — lightning round — [00:49:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=2998s)

[00:49:58] And I'm not going to win. I'm going to win.
[00:50:01] Okay, I like that nice and quick.
[00:50:03] Let's go next to Navdeep Bains.

#### Health care — main answer — [00:54:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3295s)

[00:54:55] Early in this campaign, I had the chance to chat with Tyler Downey,
[00:55:00] the president of SEIU Healthcare.
[00:55:03] And one thing was crystal clear in that conversation.
[00:55:06] If we want the people we love to get better healthcare,
[00:55:10] we need to value our healthcare workers.
[00:55:13] PSWs, nurses, custodial staff, clerical staff, kitchen staff.
[00:55:20] they deserve better pay, they deserve better benefits,
[00:55:23] they deserve better pensions, and they deserve better training.
[00:55:27] And if we make those investments, we're going to grow our workforce,
[00:55:30] which will give us the resources we need to deliver more care in the community
[00:55:34] and more care at home.
[00:55:36] And that's what our patients want.
[00:55:39] That's what our caregivers want.
[00:55:40] And that would be my priority.
[00:55:42] Okay, thank you, Dylan Marando.
[00:55:43] Eric Lombardi, the question is,
[00:55:45] what would you do differently from the Ford government,
[00:55:47] and what budget trade-offs would you make to fund your health care plan?

#### Health care — lightning round — [01:04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=3875s)

[01:04:35] I'm with Nav on this.
[01:04:36] its ads and I'll just say I can't imagine a more obvious admission of failure than a provincial
[01:04:42] government spending millions of dollars to celebrate the construction of prisons. I think
[01:04:46] that's an absolute disgrace from our provincial government. Thank you Dylan Marando. Eric Lombardi.

#### Education — main answer — [01:10:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4205s)

[01:10:07] We need to make sure that we are investing in our system today.
[01:10:10] That's time. Thank you, Stephanie Bowman. Dylan Marando, you're up next.
[01:10:13] In this campaign, I've traveled to every corner of the province.
[01:10:17] Northeast, the Northwest, the Southwest, and the Southeast.
[01:10:21] This is what I hear most often.
[01:10:24] We're willing to go to the wall for our kids.
[01:10:28] We're willing to go to the wall for our publicly funded education system.
[01:10:34] because we know that's the right thing to do for our kids.
[01:10:37] It's the right thing to do for the economic mobility of parents.
[01:10:41] And it's the right thing to do for our economic future.
[01:10:46] So as Premier, this file is on the center of my desk.
[01:10:50] This is a non-negotiable.
[01:10:52] Smaller class sizes are a non-negotiable.
[01:10:54] Specialized supports for students with exceptionalities is a non-negotiable.
[01:11:00] Access to affordable early learning and child care is a non-negotiable.
[01:11:06] There is nothing more important on the Premier's desk than our publicly funded education system.
[01:11:11] Okay, thank you, Dylan Marando.

#### Education — lightning round — [01:21:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4885s)

[01:21:25] No surprise here.
[01:21:26] My job's working for two premiers and a prime minister
[01:21:28] where I got to contribute to extraordinary Liberal teams
[01:21:31] that knew how to win and knew how to govern.
[01:21:34] Okay, thank you, candidates.

#### Economy and tariffs — main answer — [01:23:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94&t=4998s)

[01:23:20] Following my time in government, I worked in the part of the private sector that makes stuff.
[01:23:25] I was on the Canadian leadership team for one of the world's oldest and largest manufacturers.
[01:23:30] And the reason a company like that operates in a jurisdiction like Ontario is predictability.
[01:23:40] Predictability of government decision-making.
[01:23:42] Predictability of talent.
[01:23:44] And that's why we need to get past the chaotic flip-flopping of Doug Ford.
[01:23:50] We need to remind folks that Ontario is being led by the same steady hand that stabilized the economy in the Great Recession.
[01:23:59] Ontario is being led by the same steady hand that stabilized the economy during COVID.
[01:24:05] Liberals aren't left-wing. We're not right-wing.
[01:24:07] We're hard-working problem solvers who roll up our sleeves and get the big stuff done.
[01:24:13] Yes on health care, yes on education, and yes on the economy.

---

## Complete chronological transcript

Source: [OntarioLiberalTV on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4c7geJbv94)  
Date: August 10, 2026  
Duration: 1:42:50  
Moderator: Tina Yazdani  
Candidates: Navdeep Bains, Stephanie Bowman, Lee Fairclough, Eric Lombardi, and Dylan Marando

> This is a machine-generated transcript because YouTube does not provide captions for the video. Candidate and moderator names were normalized, but the wording has not been human-certified. Use the timestamps to verify quotations against the video.

## Pre-debate holding period

[00:00:00–00:09:00] Holding audio and room noise; no reliable continuous speech was detected.


## Opening and candidate statements

[00:09:00] Good evening and welcome to the first Ontario Liberal Leadership Debate.
[00:09:24] Tonight, five candidates vying to be the party's next leader
[00:09:27] will take the stage to debate their visions for the future of the party and the province.
[00:09:32] From left to right, we have Lee Fairclough, Eric Lombardi, Navdeep Bains, Stephanie Bowman, and Dylan Marando.
[00:09:39] I'm Tina Yazdani, and I will be moderating tonight's debate.
[00:09:42] The candidates have been given time limits tonight, and it is my job to keep an eye on the clock and make sure to stick to them.
[00:09:48] They have been chosen based on a draw on the order that they will be speaking.
[00:09:52] They've agreed to the format and the rules, and they know the general topics that we'll be debating,
[00:09:57] but none of the questions have been shared in advance.
[00:10:00] I've prepared tonight's questions along with a selection of questions submitted by Liberal Party members.
[00:10:06] So let's get right to it. We're going to begin with opening statements,
[00:10:09] and we'll begin with Lee Fairclough. Over to you.
[00:10:14] Bonsoir. I'm Lee Fairclough, and as the MPP for Etobicoke Lakeshore,
[00:10:19] I hold Doug Ford to account every day.
[00:10:21] I've been traveling across this province to nearly 80 ridings everywhere I go.
[00:10:27] People are ready for change.
[00:10:29] They have had enough of this government.
[00:10:33] Whether it's Doug Ford's obsession with being the mayor of Toronto instead of premier,
[00:10:38] or the investment in a luxury jet,
[00:10:40] it is just so out of touch with the affordability pressures that people are feeling.
[00:10:49] Sorry. Is everything okay?
[00:10:51] Yeah? Okay.
[00:10:54] I grew up in rural Bruce County, and I learned from a young age
[00:10:59] that if you see something that needs to change,
[00:11:01] you step up and you help it to happen.
[00:11:03] I left a career as the president of a hospital
[00:11:06] because I could not stand by any longer
[00:11:08] and watch what Doug Ford was doing to our health care system.
[00:11:13] Now, I'm a team builder, and I fight for what matters,
[00:11:16] and I learned that as an athlete playing rugby
[00:11:18] for the Canadian women's rugby team.
[00:11:20] rugby team. I learned to work hard. We set goals together and to win. And when we lost, we got up,
[00:11:28] reflected, and we got back out on the field. Politics is a team sport. And in 2022, when I ran
[00:11:35] in my riding for the first time, we lost. But we got back up. We rebuilt. And we turned that
[00:11:41] conservative riding by 4,000 votes. Now, as Premier, I would return to a focus on health care and
[00:11:49] education. I would address affordability for families and young people head-on and I would
[00:11:55] make sure that we have an economy that works in every part of this province, including
[00:11:59] the distinct considerations in rural and northern Ontario. It's time for serious government
[00:12:06] in Ontario again. Il est temps pour un gouvernement sérieux. I am the right leader for this moment.
[00:12:14] Join us. Let's get back out on the field.
[00:12:17] Eric Lombardi, you're up next. You have two minutes.
[00:12:21] My name is Eric Lombardi, and I believe Ontario can still win.
[00:12:25] But we're at a critical juncture.
[00:12:27] We can no longer fully trust our relationship with America.
[00:12:30] Risks are expanding globally, and emerging technology offers the promise of incredible progress,
[00:12:36] yet threatens us with a future that looks a bit dystopic.
[00:12:40] But Ontario should have hope, because we have every advantage we need to persevere through these challenges.
[00:12:46] talented and hardworking people, land, resources, energy, industry, and institutions that we can make better.
[00:12:54] But decades of governing for the short term has left this good hand harder to play.
[00:13:00] Since 2000, we've had one of the weakest economies in the developed world.
[00:13:04] Had we grown as before, paychecks would be $20,000 higher.
[00:13:09] We would pay less taxes and have more left over for better public services and infrastructure.
[00:13:14] Meanwhile, the promise of a middle-class life built on paychecks from ordinary work and home ownership has practically vanished for a generation.
[00:13:27] And public services are simply no longer living up to the standards that Ontarians expect.
[00:13:34] Doug Ford's government has been pretty bad.
[00:13:36] But liberals, we have to be honest with ourselves, because voters have rejected our party in three consecutive elections.
[00:13:45] Voters are looking to us for change, but they're not looking for a change back.
[00:13:49] We can't let nostalgia for last decade's liberal governments hold us hostage to the past.
[00:13:54] And that's why I'm focused on the future, on building a competitive economy, a capable government, and an ambitious Ontario.
[00:14:02] And these things, they're not platitudes to me.
[00:14:05] I'm the only candidate on this stage who's put forward solutions in a comprehensive and costed platform, because to me, that's doing the work and respecting the intelligence of voters and our members.
[00:14:21] After three consecutive defeats, I'll show you that change can be possible with new voices.
[00:14:30] Thank you, Eric Lombardi. Up next, we have Navdeep Bains. Navdeep, you have two minutes.
[00:14:34] Thank you very much, Tina.
[00:14:36] Bonjour tout le monde.
[00:14:37] C'est un honneur et un privilège pour moi d'être ici ce soir.
[00:14:41] Je voudrais remercier mes collègues aussi.
[00:14:44] It really is a pleasure to be here this evening to talk about a number of things,
[00:14:49] but first of all, I want to talk about my parents,
[00:14:52] who came to this beautiful province over 50 years ago.
[00:14:56] My father, a cabinetmaker, my mom worked in a factory,
[00:15:01] and they were able to make ends meet.
[00:15:04] They were able to live a good quality life
[00:15:06] and they were able to retire with dignity
[00:15:09] because of this province.
[00:15:11] This province provided them with so many opportunities.
[00:15:14] And the same applies to me.
[00:15:16] I went to a public school in the region of Peel.
[00:15:19] I had the good fortune of attending universities
[00:15:21] in Toronto and Windsor.
[00:15:24] I also got my first job as an accountant
[00:15:27] at Ford Motor Company in Oakville
[00:15:29] in the automotive sector.
[00:15:31] I had the privilege of teaching graduate students at Waterloo.
[00:15:35] And to top it all off, I had the honor of being in the Federal Cabinet as a son of a Cabinetmaker.
[00:15:43] That's only possible in Ontario. That's the Ontario deal.
[00:15:47] No matter who you are, where you come from, you have every opportunity to succeed and get ahead.
[00:15:52] The reality is, that's not the case today.
[00:15:56] People are working harder and falling further and further behind.
[00:16:00] That's because Doug Ford and the Conservative government have abandoned the fight on their
[00:16:05] end of the deal.
[00:16:06] They're not there for people when it comes to good quality jobs, reliable health care,
[00:16:11] or an affordable home in a safe neighborhood, or a school that does right by your kids.
[00:16:16] And I'm running to restore that deal.
[00:16:19] I've got the executive experience as the Federal Cabinet Minister and in the private sector.
[00:16:25] And I know how to rebuild the party.
[00:16:27] I did so federally from third to first.
[00:16:30] Look, tonight you'll see and you'll hear that this province has so much promise, so
[00:16:35] much potential.
[00:16:36] Let's get to work.
[00:16:37] Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[00:16:39] Stephanie Bowman, over to you.
[00:16:42] Thank you, Tina.
[00:16:43] Good evening.
[00:16:44] My name is Stephanie Bowman.
[00:16:45] Je m'appelle Stephanie Bowman.
[00:16:46] Je suis la députée de Don Valley West.
[00:16:49] I'm a mom, a chartered accountant, a former banking executive, a community leader, and
[00:16:54] And I now have the privilege of serving Don Valley West as the MPP.
[00:16:59] I'm running to lead the Ontario Liberal Party because I believe the party needs a stronger
[00:17:04] foundation so we can earn back the trust of Ontarians and build a stronger Ontario that
[00:17:09] works for everybody.
[00:17:12] The world is changing.
[00:17:14] People are worried.
[00:17:15] They're worried about their children and they're worried about their children's futures.
[00:17:19] They feel that the ground underneath them has shifted, that the foundations are crumbling
[00:17:24] And we can't bring back the past.
[00:17:28] As the Prime Minister said, nostalgia is not a strategy.
[00:17:32] We must build stronger.
[00:17:34] We need to build a strong foundation to protect what matters most to people here in Ontario.
[00:17:40] But to do that, we need to build a strong foundation for our Ontario Liberal Party.
[00:17:47] Because that will allow us to lead again
[00:17:49] and make sure that we are able to provide the opportunities for people to get ahead.
[00:17:56] As members of the Ontario Liberal Party, we must focus on what we need to do to build that strong foundation.
[00:18:04] And my experience has prepared me to lead that work.
[00:18:08] I spent more than 25 years in leadership roles at some of Canada's most trusted financial institutions.
[00:18:14] I helped them build what they needed to succeed.
[00:18:16] As a senior executive at Scotiabank and a partner at EY, I led large complex teams, diverse teams, to solve complex problems.
[00:18:25] I came with solutions to help execute on a plan and deliver real results.
[00:18:30] I was able to make the tough decisions and work with a team to do those things together.
[00:18:36] My service on the board of the Bank of Canada allowed me to see those trusted institutions that we rely on and that we need to build a prosperous economy together.
[00:18:45] Thank you, Stephanie Bowman. And our final candidate tonight, Dylan Marando, your two minutes starts now.
[00:18:51] I played rugby growing up, just like Lee. The difference is, she was really good at it. I wasn't.
[00:19:00] I played because I loved the sport, and I wanted to hang out with my buddies.
[00:19:05] Unfortunately, my buddies weren't naturals either. So for our first two seasons, we barely won a game.
[00:19:13] Then year three arrived.
[00:19:15] The players on the field didn't change.
[00:19:18] The coach didn't change.
[00:19:20] The drills didn't change.
[00:19:22] But we were tired of losing,
[00:19:24] and we were determined to do something about it.
[00:19:26] So when we got knocked down, we got up quicker.
[00:19:29] When we went in for a tackle, we hit harder.
[00:19:32] And we got better working as a team.
[00:19:34] And guess what happened in that third season?
[00:19:37] We won every single game.
[00:19:40] Ontario Liberals,
[00:19:42] Our liberals are tired of losing.
[00:19:45] We're tired of watching Doug Ford plunder our public services.
[00:19:49] And we're going to do something about it.
[00:19:52] We're going to grow our party, we're going to beat Doug Ford,
[00:19:55] and we're going to restore competency to Queen's Park.
[00:19:59] I know how to do that.
[00:20:01] I've served two premiers and a prime minister.
[00:20:04] I was at the table for childcare and dental care
[00:20:07] and tax cuts for small businesses.
[00:20:10] win and I know how to govern. And my team knows how to win and govern. And our promise to you is
[00:20:16] this. We're going to use every tool in the toolbox. We're going to do whatever it takes for as long
[00:20:21] as it takes to build up our party and build up our province. Join us. Thank you, Dylan Marando.

## Leadership and rebuilding the party

[00:20:29] All right, let's get straight to the first topic. It's on the issue of leadership. The Ontario
[00:20:34] Liberals went from forming government for 15 years to finishing third in three consecutive
[00:20:39] of elections. Many Ontarians who once voted Liberal no longer do. What makes you different
[00:20:44] from former Liberal leaders that have tried and failed to rebuild the party and take on Doug Ford?
[00:20:50] You'll have 60 seconds to respond. Eric Lombardi, we'll start with you.
[00:20:54] If we want to win government again, we need to inspire, we need to grow our tent, and we need to
[00:20:59] operate with greater excellence. Our past leaders, you'll hear, they didn't have a seat in the House,
[00:21:05] But the reality is we did not put risks and make ideas a center of our campaign.
[00:21:12] Ontarians get inspired by liberal leaders.
[00:21:15] They don't look to us for the same things as conservatives.
[00:21:18] And so when we don't do the work to tell them where we stand, where we drive the issues that matter to people,
[00:21:25] where we reflect on the systems that are no longer working for them,
[00:21:28] people can't tell that we're operating with authenticity.
[00:21:32] authenticity and voters know an inauthentic politician from a kilometer away. So if we want to win again, we have to first attract
[00:21:41] talented candidates that Ontarians can imagine can serve them well in government.
[00:21:46] We've got to operate our technology and infrastructure so that we're on the ground across the province and able to deliver our presence
[00:21:53] everywhere. So people know that our party sees them, hears them.
[00:21:57] Thank you, Eric Lombardi. That's time. Stephanie Bowman, over to you.
[00:22:00] what makes you different from other Liberal leaders who have failed to take on Doug Ford?
[00:22:06] Thank you, Tina. You know, I put my name on the ballot in the 2022 election,
[00:22:11] and my team and I had a plan. We had a plan to win. And even when Doug Ford put Mark Saunders,
[00:22:18] the former police chief, up against me, we just kept working that plan and we won.
[00:22:23] And the Ontario Liberal Party can't wait for the next election to rebuild. We need to start now,
[00:22:28] listening to our members across this whole province, urban, rural, suburban, the north,
[00:22:34] and listen to what they have to say about what our party needs.
[00:22:37] We need to make sure we are nominating candidates early.
[00:22:40] We need to make sure we give every riding association a chance to win
[00:22:44] by giving them the resources and the supports that they need.
[00:22:47] We need to make sure that we are putting forward ideas that show
[00:22:51] that we know how to deliver economic prosperity for this province.
[00:22:55] And we need to show that we will respect every taxpayer dollar,
[00:22:58] And that's what I've been fighting and talking about since being elected in 2022 at Queen's Park.
[00:23:03] Holding this government to account every single day and fighting for our constituents and my constituents and people across the province.
[00:23:11] That's time for you, Stephanie Bowman.
[00:23:12] Dylan Marando, over to you.
[00:23:13] What makes you different from former Liberal leaders that have tried and failed to rebuild the party and take on Doug Ford?
[00:23:19] The milk has soured on Doug Ford.
[00:23:23] And shortly, it's going to be chunky.
[00:23:26] So our job is not to oppose. Our job is to propose. We need to become an alternative to this government. We need to show that we are ready to govern, that we have a team that knows how to govern.
[00:23:42] And let's not forget, for 42 years, Liberals thought all they needed was a seat in the House.
[00:23:50] For 42 years, Liberals thought a victory was going to come to them.
[00:23:55] But they didn't win until a 38-year-old leader built a team that inspired confidence in Ontarians.
[00:24:03] And my hunch is that we need that same kind of leadership again.
[00:24:08] Thank you, Dylan Marando.
[00:24:09] Lee Fairclough, you're up next.
[00:24:11] what makes you different from former Liberal leaders
[00:24:13] that have tried and failed to rebuild the party?
[00:24:16] It's time for serious government in Ontario.
[00:24:21] Unlike leaders of the last eight years, I have a seat.
[00:24:25] And I am a sharp contrast to Doug Ford.
[00:24:27] And I also know it is critical that we rebuild our party
[00:24:32] because voters are looking for us to be ready.
[00:24:36] First thing I would do as leader is to unify our party.
[00:24:41] I'd invite all these candidates on the stage and their teams to be part of our future
[00:24:45] and to build against the Conservatives.
[00:24:49] I would make sure that we are building from the grassroots up,
[00:24:53] working with local associations, our rural commissions and northern commissions
[00:24:57] and young liberals, and I would show up as a leader in communities with them
[00:25:02] so Ontarians knew how we would solve any problem.
[00:25:06] I would make sure we found talent quickly and give them lots of runway to run.
[00:25:10] And I would create a culture where every voice in our party is valued and modernize our party.
[00:25:17] I've put a policy out with more details on this.
[00:25:20] That's time. Thank you, Lee Fairclough.
[00:25:22] And finally, Navdeep Bains, what makes you different from former Liberal leaders
[00:25:25] that have tried and failed to rebuild the party and take on Doug Ford?
[00:25:28] Well, thank you very much for your question there, Tina.
[00:25:31] And just to build on what Lee said, we need a united front.
[00:25:34] And as Dylan also highlighted, we've got to focus on not what we stand against, but what we stand for.
[00:25:40] And I demonstrated that at a very young age when I was first elected at the age of 26.
[00:25:45] And I recall at that time I was told, you know, don't put your name on a flyer.
[00:25:51] You know, people may not vote for you.
[00:25:53] I did not listen to that advice.
[00:25:55] I went and knocked on every door.
[00:25:57] I went out there and told people what I believe in.
[00:26:00] And people are looking for that authentic leadership.
[00:26:02] And I have a track record of winning.
[00:26:04] I won five elections.
[00:26:06] And that enabled me to understand what works and what doesn't work.
[00:26:09] And what works is you need to build a strong team, a strong team of candidates, and you need to have a comprehensive plan.
[00:26:15] And that's what I will do as a leader.
[00:26:17] I've done it before federally.
[00:26:19] I took the Liberals from third to first, and I plan to do that provincially as well.
[00:26:23] Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[00:26:24] I'm going to open the floor up now for rebuttals and open debate, and I'll kick it off with a question.
[00:26:30] How important do you think it is to have a seat at Queen's Park to effectively lead?
[00:26:35] Just raise your hand, and I'll come to you.
[00:26:36] I'll go to Dylan Marando first.
[00:26:39] I want to pick up the nab on this one.
[00:26:41] Because it's not fair that he keeps getting this question.
[00:26:45] In the next general election,
[00:26:47] when a young mom or dad goes into the voting booth,
[00:26:51] they're not going to ask,
[00:26:53] does the leader have a seat?
[00:26:55] They're going to ask,
[00:26:56] does this leader have what it takes
[00:26:58] to make my kids' education better?
[00:27:01] Does this leader have what it takes
[00:27:03] to make my parents' health care better?
[00:27:05] Does this leader have what it takes to protect my job?
[00:27:08] So if that's the ballot box question in the next general election, it needs to be the ballot box question in this leadership race. Which one of us has the tools in the toolbox to deliver those kinds of results in government? That, I think, is the important question.
[00:27:24] I'm going to go to Lee Fairclough. She had her hand up.
[00:27:26] I've been consistently hearing from Liberals and others across Ontario that we can't keep doing the same thing. We've tried it multiple times now and it has not worked.
[00:27:35] and if we have a compelling candidate
[00:27:38] that has leadership experience
[00:27:40] that has a seat in the legislature,
[00:27:42] it will make the difference.
[00:27:44] And I talk to people that have been previous members about that.
[00:27:47] There is an energy in that legislature
[00:27:49] that then translates into the way
[00:27:52] that you go out and talk to media
[00:27:53] and the way that you go out and connect across the province
[00:27:56] and bring those local perspectives back.
[00:27:59] We have to try to do this differently
[00:28:01] and I believe I'm the leader that can meet that moment for us.
[00:28:05] I'm going to go to Eric Lombardi. I saw his hand next.
[00:28:07] We need to dominate the debate and the narrative about what it means to offer a future for Ontario.
[00:28:12] And we also need to do our best to grow the tent and talk to voters from other parties
[00:28:18] who might have not considered us in the last election.
[00:28:21] And so we need to be reaching out to our neighbours who are Conservative and New Democrat
[00:28:24] and ensuring that they feel like they can have a comfortable place in our party.
[00:28:29] And I sincerely believe that there are disenfranchised Conservative voters
[00:28:34] many of whom voted for Mark Carney in the last election.
[00:28:37] And we should be doing our best to bring the Conservatives down from 40% to 30%.
[00:28:43] And that's a majority government for the Liberals.
[00:28:45] Stephanie Bowman, I saw your hand.
[00:28:46] Do you think that you need a seat at Queen's Park to effectively lead this party?
[00:28:50] You know, Tina, I was with Stephen, I was with Bonnie in the last two races.
[00:28:55] And I want to first of all thank them for their contributions.
[00:28:57] Stephen got us out of debt and Bonnie brought us to official party status.
[00:29:01] The problem is people didn't know their names on the ballot box because it's very
[00:29:05] hard to get the public's attention when you can't get the media's attention and
[00:29:09] when you don't have a seat in the legislature I find that that was a real
[00:29:12] challenge for them. So we need to make sure that our voices, that Ontario
[00:29:16] Liberal voices are being heard and having a seat in the legislature allows
[00:29:20] us to actually talk about what we would do if we were in government. It allows us
[00:29:24] to hold Doug Ford and his government to account every single day and to fight
[00:29:27] for the issues that matter, like a youth career fund, which I tabled at Queen's Park, or
[00:29:31] a small business tax cut, or a middle income tax cut.
[00:29:35] Those are ideas that we can debate and propose in a meaningful way when you've got a seat
[00:29:39] at Queen's Park.
[00:29:40] Navdeep, would you like to comment on this?
[00:29:42] Absolutely.
[00:29:43] I mean, look, we all recognize that change is in the air.
[00:29:47] People are tired and frustrated with this government, and they're looking for a viable
[00:29:51] alternative.
[00:29:52] And that's what I'm proposing.
[00:29:53] I'm proposing to restore that Ontario deal, which is about making sure people have a real chance at success.
[00:29:59] They want a premier that wakes up in the morning thinking about health care and education.
[00:30:04] And the sad reality is Doug Ford does not do that.
[00:30:07] And we need someone to challenge him on his economic record as well.
[00:30:11] Why do we have the highest youth unemployment rate in the country?
[00:30:15] These are the kind of questions I would pose to him and challenge him because I have a track record in government.
[00:30:19] When I was the Minister of Industry, during my tenure in the first four years, over one million jobs were created.
[00:30:27] That's what people are looking for.
[00:30:28] Someone who can take on Doug Ford on his, I would say, abysmal track record when it comes to the economy,
[00:30:34] but also challenge him in single health care and education are also good for the economy as well.
[00:30:39] And that's what I plan to do.
[00:30:40] Lee, go ahead.
[00:30:42] It's been interesting this last year, and especially in the legislature.
[00:30:46] I mean, we have a premier right now that's not bringing us back until the end of October.
[00:30:50] And so that time when we have been sitting has been so critical to be in tune with all of the bills that are passing,
[00:30:57] being able to really oppose this government, go toe to toe every day where we can.
[00:31:02] I think it's critical that our future leader has those insights, sees the dynamic.
[00:31:08] And most importantly, the leader can also still travel this province,
[00:31:12] can still reach out into the far north, go up to Marathon, go up to Timmins, go, you know, down to Sarnia,
[00:31:19] understand people's perspectives, and challenge back when they return to the legislature.
[00:31:25] Hold those individual members accountable.
[00:31:28] How can people be, I sit there all the time as somebody who grew up in rural Ontario,
[00:31:32] and I think, how can the Conservative members be passing this bill?
[00:31:37] We need a leader with a seat that can call that out directly and can relate to all parts of Ontario.
[00:31:44] Let's go to Eric and then Dylan.
[00:31:46] We have to remember, at the end of the day as Liberals, that Ontarians are looking towards us to offer solutions to the problems that they see in their everyday life.
[00:31:55] The provincial government is a government that affects our lives the most.
[00:31:59] And so that's critical for us to go and tell people what is it that we stand for?
[00:32:04] What is interesting and relevant about why they should elect us in the future?
[00:32:08] This is critical for us to know and voters to know that we're there with them.
[00:32:13] We see the same problems they do.
[00:32:15] We share the same experiences and we have the same desires for the future of Ontario.
[00:32:20] And if we're not clear eyed about offering that inspiration to people,
[00:32:24] we'll give them no reason to pay attention to the things that we have to offer.
[00:32:27] Dylan Marando, go ahead.
[00:32:29] I'm going to make a couple of points.
[00:32:30] One is, in the same way a caucus member can travel the province,
[00:32:36] nothing stops a leader who doesn't have a seat
[00:32:38] from standing in the lobby of Queen's Park and being scrummed.
[00:32:41] And if it's a compelling leader with a compelling plan,
[00:32:44] they're going to get scrummed every day they're standing in that lobby.
[00:32:46] Secondly, Stephen had a seat in Parliament.
[00:32:49] Stephen was a minister.
[00:32:50] Bonnie was a parliamentarian federally.
[00:32:52] Bonnie was a mayor.
[00:32:53] It wasn't a question of profile.
[00:32:55] It was a question of plan and readiness to govern
[00:32:57] in the eyes of the electorate.
[00:32:59] and every time we say we lost the last election
[00:33:02] because our leader didn't have a seat,
[00:33:05] we're breaking our trust with the voters.
[00:33:07] The voters know why they voted for us and didn't vote for us
[00:33:09] and it had nothing to do with the status of our leader's seat.
[00:33:12] So if we want to regain the trust of voters,
[00:33:15] we have to first and foremost be honest with them.
[00:33:17] We only have about two minutes left in this open debate
[00:33:21] and I want to ask one more question
[00:33:22] and it's about the ideology of the party.
[00:33:25] Where should the Ontario Liberal Party be on the political spectrum at this moment in time?
[00:33:31] Centre-left, centrist, centre-right.
[00:33:34] I think I saw Eric's hand up first, but also I appreciate everyone's being polite,
[00:33:38] but you can also jump in.
[00:33:39] And if it's getting too heated, I will stop you guys.
[00:33:42] So Eric, go ahead.
[00:33:43] This political spectrum left-right thing is not the right lens.
[00:33:47] Ontario has problems.
[00:33:48] We have to offer solutions.
[00:33:50] Sometimes those solutions will sound right-of-centre and marketplace.
[00:33:53] sometimes they'll sound leftist center and require the role of government to intervene.
[00:33:57] The goal that what Ontarians want to see and expect from the Liberal Party is that we're pragmatic
[00:34:03] and that we look at the problems for what they are.
[00:34:06] And that has to be the shining light that we're following as Liberals.
[00:34:10] Go ahead, Lee.
[00:34:12] It was amazing to me when I arrived in the legislature as a new member
[00:34:16] to see the impact of not having party status for years.
[00:34:20] because you had the opposition and you had the conservative government
[00:34:25] and they were so far apart.
[00:34:27] Liberals are in that unique spot where we can bring that pragmatism,
[00:34:32] those real-world solutions to problems.
[00:34:35] We can hear other perspectives.
[00:34:37] And I do think, as I've talked to people, they count on us to be in the centre,
[00:34:41] to be that bridge between that polarisation that is happening out there.
[00:34:46] Let's go to Navdeep Bains.
[00:34:48] Look, I've travelled this province.
[00:34:49] like my colleagues here, and I can tell you the message is very clear.
[00:34:53] They want the Liberal Party to focus on the economy.
[00:34:56] Cost of living and affordability is the number one issue I hear about.
[00:35:00] People are struggling to make ends meet.
[00:35:02] And as I mentioned, one in five young people cannot find a job.
[00:35:06] And we lag behind other provinces when it comes to growth.
[00:35:10] That's got to change.
[00:35:11] That's why I say we've got to lead again.
[00:35:13] That's how you restore the Ontario deal.
[00:35:15] If you have a strong economy, then you can make the investments.
[00:35:18] for a reliable health care system.
[00:35:20] You can invest in education.
[00:35:22] And by the way, that's what Conservatives don't understand.
[00:35:24] They think it's one or the other.
[00:35:26] And this is where the Liberal Party is uniquely positioned
[00:35:28] to talk about these issues.
[00:35:29] Does anyone want the last word?
[00:35:30] Go ahead.
[00:35:31] Yeah, the Ontario Liberals have been fighting for good education,
[00:35:35] good health care, and good post-secondary education
[00:35:38] because we know those are the foundations of a strong economy.
[00:35:41] And that's what we've been fighting for at Queen's Park,
[00:35:43] that I've been fighting for since being elected in 2022.
[00:35:46] We know that we need to make sure that people have a strong foundation
[00:35:50] because it's been crumbling under this Doug Ford government.
[00:35:53] And that's what I'm talking about.
[00:35:54] We need to build a stronger foundation so that we are ready for what's next,
[00:35:57] so that our children are ready for what's next
[00:35:59] and can take advantage of all the opportunities
[00:36:02] and fantastic resources that we have here in this province.
[00:36:05] Okay, thank you, Stephanie Bowman.
[00:36:07] Let's move on to the next segment.

## Lightning round: connecting with voters

[00:36:10] It will be a lightning round.
[00:36:11] Each candidate will have 30 seconds or one to two sentences to answer the question.
[00:36:16] It'll be a finish the sentence question.
[00:36:18] So I'll ask the question.
[00:36:20] When it comes to connecting with voters, one thing the progressive conservatives have done right,
[00:36:24] that the liberals are still getting wrong, is.
[00:36:27] Eric Lombardi, you're up first.
[00:36:28] You have 30 seconds or one to two sentences.
[00:36:31] Being themselves and showing authenticity,
[00:36:33] I think we worry too much about communications and not in connecting with people.
[00:36:38] Thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[00:36:39] Stephanie Bowman, when it comes to connecting with voters, one thing the progressive conservatives have done right that the liberals are still getting wrong is?
[00:36:47] We need to make sure our party is strong.
[00:36:51] We need to make sure that we call early elections and that we have candidates who are ready and willing to fight hard in every single riding across this province to win.
[00:37:00] Thank you, Stephanie.
[00:37:00] Dylan Marando, when it comes to connecting with voters, one thing the conservatives have done right that the liberals are still getting wrong is?
[00:37:08] They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk.
[00:37:10] And that's what we do as Liberals.
[00:37:12] We get the job done.
[00:37:13] Thank you, Dylan.
[00:37:14] Lee Fairclough, when it comes to connecting with voters,
[00:37:17] one thing the PCs have done right that the Liberals are still getting wrong is?
[00:37:22] As we build as Liberals, we need to fundraise to make sure that we can achieve what we need to,
[00:37:27] because that is actually how we will be able to address the problems of Ontarians.
[00:37:32] And finally, Navdeep Bains, when it comes to connecting with voters,
[00:37:35] one thing the PCs have done right that the Liberals are still getting wrong is.
[00:37:39] When it comes to connecting with voters, we have to focus on the economy.
[00:37:44] That includes cost of living, jobs, and a growth plan that will help people prosper throughout the province.
[00:37:49] Okay, thank you, Navdeep Bains.

## Affordability

[00:37:50] Let's move on now to the second topic on the issue of affordability.
[00:37:55] For many Ontarians, the cost of everyday life, from groceries to rent to insurance, is outpacing wages.
[00:38:00] If elected Premier, what would be the single most important thing your government would do in its first year to make life more affordable, and how would you pay for it?
[00:38:08] Each candidate will have 60 seconds to respond. We'll start with Dylan Marando. Go ahead.
[00:38:13] This one is for Cliff in Richmond Hill.
[00:38:18] Affordability is going to be my priority on day one.
[00:38:23] I worked in the Prime Minister's office during COVID.
[00:38:26] I saw how fast a government can work when it wants to work.
[00:38:31] The reason Doug Ford has delivered nothing on affordability for eight years
[00:38:36] is because he doesn't care.
[00:38:38] He doesn't care about you.
[00:38:40] He cares about the boys in the back room.
[00:38:42] He cares about private jets.
[00:38:44] He cares about luxury hotels.
[00:38:45] But he doesn't care about delivering affordability now.
[00:38:50] That's going to be my priority.
[00:38:51] Higher wages, a tax cut, and more affordable services.
[00:38:56] Thank you, Dylan Marando.
[00:38:57] Navdeep Bains, what would you do to make life more affordable
[00:39:00] and how would you pay for it?
[00:39:02] Look, to make life more affordable,
[00:39:04] the number one issue I hear about when we talk about cost of living
[00:39:07] is the difficulties people are finding to pay for groceries.
[00:39:13] You know, one in four people that visit the food bank actually have a job.
[00:39:17] How ridiculous is that?
[00:39:18] That one in four people that visit the food bank
[00:39:21] do what they're supposed to do, which is go to work,
[00:39:24] and they still can't make ends meet.
[00:39:25] So I would focus on a number of measures to help people make ends meet when it comes to paying for their groceries.
[00:39:32] One would be to increase consumer protections for surveillance practices that exist on pricing.
[00:39:40] Second would be to make sure we grow more here in Ontario.
[00:39:43] I was in Leamington and I saw firsthand the greenhouses that exist there
[00:39:46] and the opportunities to grow more locally to help people afford groceries.
[00:39:50] And lastly, I would make sure we make changes to leases and property arrangements that exist to create more competition in this space.
[00:39:59] So these are specific measures to make sure that people can afford groceries.
[00:40:04] Ultimately, affordability has many components to it.
[00:40:06] That's time. Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[00:40:08] Stephanie Bowman, you're up next.
[00:40:10] You know, Tina, Doug Ford doesn't understand budgets and he doesn't understand affordability.
[00:40:17] And he's not using your tax dollars wisely.
[00:40:19] we need to make sure that we are using those tax dollars to put money back into people's pockets
[00:40:25] I've been talking about Queen's Park about a middle income tax cut I would deliver that
[00:40:31] I've been talking about a small business tax cut that would help small businesses thrive in this
[00:40:36] province you know under this Doug Ford government more small businesses are closing than are opening
[00:40:41] and that's hurting our economy I would make sure that we are building enough housing so that housing
[00:40:46] is affordable. I hear parents worried about their children. In fact, their children are moving out of
[00:40:51] the province because they can't afford a home here. We need to make sure that we are actually
[00:40:56] putting solutions forward to get homes built so that people can build their lives here. And I
[00:41:02] would make sure that young people can get their first job. I tabled a youth career fund that would
[00:41:08] actually help about 75,000 young people get their first job and help small and medium-sized
[00:41:13] enterprises. These are the kind of initiatives that you can put forward. That's time for you, Stephanie Bowman.
[00:41:16] Next, we will go to Eric Lombardi.
[00:41:19] How would you make life more affordable?
[00:41:21] We have got to fix our broken housing system in Ontario.
[00:41:24] It's 30% of the average household's budget.
[00:41:27] And when we look at the last 20 years, the cost of housing relative to incomes for both rent and ownership have more than doubled.
[00:41:34] And that means reduced savings. That means less spending and less ability for people to take risks.
[00:41:39] So that means we have to do land use reform. It means we need to do permitting reform.
[00:41:44] It means we need to do building code reform to make housing more beautiful.
[00:41:48] And it means that we need to deliver a new deal to Ontario's municipalities
[00:41:52] so that they can pay for the infrastructure needs that they have
[00:41:56] and allow our housing system to enable young people to afford good lives and families.
[00:42:02] And so if we don't get this right, almost everything else in our economy
[00:42:06] suffers because at the end of the day, people are not just nurses and teachers.
[00:42:10] They're people who need full lives and a full life is lived in a good home
[00:42:14] and we've got to fix it.
[00:42:16] Okay, finally, Lee Fairclough,
[00:42:17] how would you make life more affordable?
[00:42:20] I know that many of you are struggling,
[00:42:24] especially young people,
[00:42:26] and the proportion of your income
[00:42:28] that is going to your rent and your housing
[00:42:30] has only increased.
[00:42:31] And as the mom of teenage boys,
[00:42:33] when I go to the grocery store,
[00:42:35] I think all the time
[00:42:36] how difficult it is getting for people.
[00:42:39] And then I get really angry,
[00:42:41] and this is how I would pay
[00:42:42] for some of these changes I'm going to suggest.
[00:42:44] When I look at the waste of this government, you know, investing in luxury jets, tunnels on the 401, and expense scandals, it's a disregard for what you are facing.
[00:42:57] I would make sure that I reverse the decision on OSAP so families knew that education was in reach for young people and see that as investment for them.
[00:43:06] I would make sure that we adjust the regulations to stop soaring rents at the moment and the increasing homelessness that we're seeing, especially among seniors.
[00:43:17] And I would make sure that there were jobs that also support for young people that were coupled with small and medium-sized businesses so that we can grow the economy and support the economy.
[00:43:29] Thank you, Leif. I will open up the floor now to debate and rebuttals.
[00:43:34] Navdeep Bains, you already have your hand up, so go ahead.
[00:43:37] Thank you very much, Tina.
[00:43:38] Look, to build on what Eric said, I recall my own first experience.
[00:43:42] My wife and I, when we bought our first home, I landed a very good job when I had my co-op experience at Ford Motor Company of Canada.
[00:43:51] I think it was around $65,000.
[00:43:53] My wife worked for an accounting firm.
[00:43:55] She's a CPA like myself and Stephanie as well.
[00:43:58] And we were able to stay with our parents and buy our first home.
[00:44:01] Like, that's how the deal was supposed to work.
[00:44:03] You go to school, you get a good job, you're able to make a down payment and afford a home or afford the rent.
[00:44:08] That reality is very different.
[00:44:10] So I would build on what Eric said to change that reality and restore that deal.
[00:44:15] That means reviewing our building code for sure, utilizing modern construction techniques,
[00:44:21] and also making sure that municipalities have that long-term framework that they need in order to build those homes.
[00:44:28] Because the housing market has collapsed by 35% under Doug Ford.
[00:44:33] and we need to change direction and we need to change course.
[00:44:35] Alright, let's go to Eric next.
[00:44:37] We can't talk about affordability without talking about our lack of competition in our economy
[00:44:43] and the stagnation and productivity levels that we've seen for two decades.
[00:44:47] Productivity is really about how can you do more in the same amount of time to create more wealth out of it.
[00:44:55] And societies that don't have long-term productivity growth
[00:44:59] don't have resources to invest in public services or infrastructure.
[00:45:02] There's not competition for their labor to raise wages.
[00:45:06] And it's going to take a lot of effort to reform our systems in order to return growth to Ontario
[00:45:11] so people feel that rising standard of living once again.
[00:45:15] And that's critical to the understanding.
[00:45:18] And this goes right to the issue of the economy.
[00:45:20] Go ahead, Dylan.
[00:45:21] So one thing that I think is missing from this conversation right now, but it was in your question, is a sense of urgency.
[00:45:27] Folks cannot wait for support on affordability.
[00:45:30] I love building codes.
[00:45:31] I love housing supply.
[00:45:32] I love increased productivity, but that's not going to do anything for Cliff and Richmond Hill tomorrow.
[00:45:38] But if we cut taxes for the middle class, that will hit their pocketbook tomorrow.
[00:45:42] If we boost wages for PSWs and DSWs and ECEs and EAs, that's going to help their pocketbook tomorrow.
[00:45:49] And if we can decrease the cost of child care, if we can decrease the cost of comprehensive mental health care,
[00:45:55] which is within the power of the provincial government, that's going to hit their pocketbooks tomorrow.
[00:46:00] So we need to act with a sense of urgency.
[00:46:02] And as I said before, when governments care, when governments want to do that,
[00:46:07] when governments recognize that the reward of political office is public service, not room service,
[00:46:13] they can deliver on affordability.
[00:46:14] Part of the question was also how would you pay for it.
[00:46:17] So anyone can jump in here, but those all sound great.
[00:46:20] How would you pay for it? Go ahead, Navdeep.
[00:46:21] If I may, look, it's very clear. It's about setting priorities.
[00:46:23] That's what I did a little while ago.
[00:46:26] It's highlighting the priorities on jobs, affordability, health care, and education.
[00:46:29] that means we wouldn't spend hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on self-promotional ads.
[00:46:34] I wouldn't spend over $200 million on a parking lot on Ontario Place.
[00:46:39] Just imagine if those funds went towards the priorities we highlighted.
[00:46:42] That's the choice in the upcoming election.
[00:46:45] Doug Ford is focused on his buddies.
[00:46:47] He's not focused on the well-being of the people of Ontario.
[00:46:49] One thing I do really want to say is that we really do need to be thinking about good jobs and across this province.
[00:46:54] It was amazing to me when I visited the Northwest.
[00:46:57] They need 2,000 people to immigrate there today to be able to fill the jobs.
[00:47:02] The unemployment rate is close to zero.
[00:47:05] But municipalities need a partner in government.
[00:47:08] We need to be able to help to support the building of communities that will attract and bring people to those communities to live.
[00:47:15] Some of these things don't require more money.
[00:47:18] Some of them will.
[00:47:19] will. And there are so many opportunities with the current spending by this government that we need
[00:47:25] to redirect to these other parts of the province and create the kind of jobs and stability that
[00:47:31] families need right now. Go ahead, Stephanie Bowman. You know, we know there is no one simple
[00:47:36] answer to these challenges that people face, whether it's the cost of groceries, the cost of
[00:47:41] housing, the cost to send their kids to school. But we also know that this Conservative government
[00:47:45] has been wasting billions of dollars.
[00:47:47] I've been calling that out in the legislature.
[00:47:49] They spent a billion dollars on private nursing agencies.
[00:47:53] They could have hired three times the number of nurses
[00:47:55] in our health care system
[00:47:56] if they'd spent that money in the public health care system.
[00:47:58] They've wasted over a billion dollars
[00:48:00] on skills development fund.
[00:48:02] That money could be spent investing in Ontario
[00:48:04] to actually address the infrastructure backlog
[00:48:08] that we have in every single riding in this province
[00:48:10] and put people, including young people, to work
[00:48:13] because that's what we need.
[00:48:14] We need the foundations of our infrastructure are crumbling.
[00:48:18] People see it around them all the time.
[00:48:19] And we need to make sure that we are building a stronger foundation
[00:48:22] so that we're ready for what's next.
[00:48:24] You know, the number one job for men in Canada, truck drivers.
[00:48:28] In California, we've got driverless trucks already.
[00:48:31] That is going to come to Ontario.
[00:48:33] What are we doing now to make sure that those men and those women
[00:48:36] who drive trucks are ready for when their jobs disappear
[00:48:38] and they can still keep a roof over their head and put groceries on the table?
[00:48:41] Go to Navdeep next.
[00:48:42] Well, speaking of truck drivers, I met with Bob, who owns an independent trucking company, a small operator in Dryden.
[00:48:50] And usually to renew his commercial license, it would take a couple of days, maximum 48 hours.
[00:48:57] Now it takes well over six weeks.
[00:48:59] So he loses income, and the drivers are unable to earn income as well.
[00:49:04] That's an example of this government talking the talk on red tape, but they're actually adding red tape.
[00:49:10] These are the kind of measures that I'd also pursue above and beyond making investments to education and healthcare,
[00:49:15] real supports and real solutions for small businesses.
[00:49:18] Eric Lombardi, you can have the last word.
[00:49:20] We can't subsidize our way out of an affordability crisis.
[00:49:23] We have to build our way out.
[00:49:25] And governments don't create good jobs.
[00:49:27] They create the conditions for good jobs to be created.
[00:49:30] And we have to be able to distinguish the difference between those things.
[00:49:34] Because at the end of the day, we've put off the long-term needs of this province for too long.
[00:49:38] Okay, thank you, candidates.

## Lightning round: biggest misconception

[00:49:40] We're going to move on to the next lightning round.
[00:49:43] Each candidate will again have 30 seconds or one or two sentences to finish the question.
[00:49:49] The question is, the biggest misconception about me in this leadership race is?
[00:49:53] So we're going to start with Dylan Marando.
[00:49:56] The biggest misconception about you in this leadership race?
[00:49:58] And I'm not going to win. I'm going to win.
[00:50:01] Okay, I like that nice and quick.
[00:50:03] Let's go next to Navdeep Bains.
[00:50:04] Well, the biggest misconception is that people believe I'm a frontrunner.
[00:50:09] I've learned a long time ago not to take anything for granted and work hard.
[00:50:12] So again, the biggest misconception is never take anything for granted.
[00:50:15] Okay, thank you, Navdeep Bains. Stephanie Bowman?
[00:50:17] I would say the biggest misconception about me is that I've come to the party late.
[00:50:23] I've been at this work since I was elected in 2022.
[00:50:27] I've helped out in seven by-elections and helped get Liberals elected,
[00:50:30] and that's what I'm going to do when I'm leader.
[00:50:32] Eric Lombardi, the biggest misconception about you?
[00:50:35] The ideas that I've put forward don't matter, but I know that they do.
[00:50:39] I know people are paying attention. I know voters want to see more substance.
[00:50:42] Thank you, Eric Lombardi. And Lee Fairclough.
[00:50:44] The biggest misconception about me is that I'm only about health care.
[00:50:49] And having worked in health care for so many years, I've worked across government
[00:50:53] and know as well so much about public finances.
[00:50:56] And in this job now, I have realized coming to Queen's Park just how much we need to do.
[00:51:02] across every file of government, including the economy.
[00:51:06] Okay, thank you, Lee Fairclough.
[00:51:08] Thank you to all the candidates.

## Health care

[00:51:09] Speaking of health care, that is our next topic.
[00:51:11] The Ford government is spending record dollars on health,
[00:51:15] but the sector says funding has not kept up with inflation or population growth,
[00:51:19] and Ontarians are still facing long emergency room wait times,
[00:51:22] family doctor shortages, and concerns about access to care.
[00:51:26] What would you do differently from the Ford government,
[00:51:28] and what budget trade-offs would you make to fund your plan?
[00:51:32] Each candidate will have 60 seconds to respond.
[00:51:34] Stephanie Bowman, we'll start with you.
[00:51:36] Thank you, Tina.
[00:51:38] Look, without a strong economy, we can't pay for health care.
[00:51:41] We can't pay for any of the services that people rely on.
[00:51:44] And under this Doug Ford government, we have seen health care crumble.
[00:51:49] We have seen ERs in rural communities close.
[00:51:52] We have seen wait times increase.
[00:51:54] We have seen more and more people treated in hallways.
[00:51:58] That's because this government has not got a plan.
[00:52:01] And I will not stand here and say that there is a single solution or that the solutions will be easy.
[00:52:06] We need to listen to the voices of doctors and nurses and PSWs and the janitors who work in hospitals
[00:52:12] to make sure that we are bringing forward creative solutions.
[00:52:16] For example, centralized referral.
[00:52:18] In the UK, they've got a system where your doctor gives you a referral and you go online
[00:52:22] and you can pick the doctor that's closest to you or the one that you've got the best rating.
[00:52:26] We need to make sure that we are listening to the workers, the people who know what it takes.
[00:52:32] And in terms of funding, again, growing our economy is the number one thing that we can do to pay for health care.
[00:52:37] Wasting taxpayer dollars.
[00:52:39] Thank you, Stephanie Bowman.
[00:52:41] Lee Fairclough, you're up next.
[00:52:43] I have consistently heard from people across Ontario that health care matters to them.
[00:52:48] And it matters to me.
[00:52:50] It's why I actually ran for office.
[00:52:54] And Doug Ford and the Conservatives,
[00:52:57] health care is not a priority to them.
[00:53:00] And I can tell you one thing I would stop right away
[00:53:02] that would stop the waste,
[00:53:03] which is paying three times as much for the same service
[00:53:07] in a private environment than in a public.
[00:53:10] That has got to stop.
[00:53:13] As Premier, I would bring a focus back to patients
[00:53:17] and the outcomes that they need.
[00:53:19] I would make sure that people can get access
[00:53:22] to team-based primary care,
[00:53:25] I would finish the job for this government.
[00:53:27] We need to make sure that dollars
[00:53:29] are being spent on keeping people well.
[00:53:31] I would prioritize access to mental health care
[00:53:35] for young people to get upstream on these issues.
[00:53:39] It is time for a government
[00:53:41] that prioritizes health care again,
[00:53:43] sees it as an investment in people,
[00:53:45] and sees it as an investment in our economic prosperity.
[00:53:48] Thank you, Lee.
[00:53:49] Navdeep Bains is next.
[00:53:50] What would you do differently from the Ford government,
[00:53:52] and what budget trade-offs would you make to fund your health care plan?
[00:53:55] Oh, I would do everything differently than the Ford government when it comes to health care.
[00:53:59] They've made things so, so bad.
[00:54:01] This is an issue I hear about all the time, no matter where I travel.
[00:54:05] I started my campaign in Windsor.
[00:54:07] I just came back from Thunder Bay.
[00:54:08] And it's the same story.
[00:54:10] People cannot access family physicians.
[00:54:13] 2.5 million people in Ontario don't have access to a family physician.
[00:54:17] Wait times have doubled under Doug Ford and gone really, really bad.
[00:54:21] This puts pressure on hallway medicine, puts pressure on hospitals that are dealing with deficits.
[00:54:26] They have to make more cuts.
[00:54:28] Let's put pressure on the nurses and health care professionals.
[00:54:31] The system is on life support.
[00:54:34] The investments in health care are so important because it's not only for people's well-being and the health outcomes,
[00:54:40] it's also important for the economy.
[00:54:43] And that's what I believe in.
[00:54:44] This is why liberals are different than the conservatives.
[00:54:47] Investments in health care are good for the economy.
[00:54:50] Okay, thank you, Navdeep.
[00:54:51] Next, we will go to Dylan Marando.
[00:54:53] What would you do differently from the Ford government?
[00:54:55] Early in this campaign, I had the chance to chat with Tyler Downey,
[00:55:00] the president of SEIU Healthcare.
[00:55:03] And one thing was crystal clear in that conversation.
[00:55:06] If we want the people we love to get better healthcare,
[00:55:10] we need to value our healthcare workers.
[00:55:13] PSWs, nurses, custodial staff, clerical staff, kitchen staff.
[00:55:20] they deserve better pay, they deserve better benefits,
[00:55:23] they deserve better pensions, and they deserve better training.
[00:55:27] And if we make those investments, we're going to grow our workforce,
[00:55:30] which will give us the resources we need to deliver more care in the community
[00:55:34] and more care at home.
[00:55:36] And that's what our patients want.
[00:55:39] That's what our caregivers want.
[00:55:40] And that would be my priority.
[00:55:42] Okay, thank you, Dylan Marando.
[00:55:43] Eric Lombardi, the question is,
[00:55:45] what would you do differently from the Ford government,
[00:55:47] and what budget trade-offs would you make to fund your health care plan?
[00:55:50] We need wait times measured in days and weeks rather than months and years.
[00:55:54] And my plan is already fully costed on my platform, and you can go check it out.
[00:55:58] And solving this problem of capacity means adding capacity.
[00:56:02] That means more doctors, more nurses, more beds, and more technology, and less paperwork, less bureaucracy, and less dysfunction.
[00:56:09] We need to tie every Ontarian to a local health network.
[00:56:11] We need to invest in rapid diagnostic centers and double the number of MRIs, in particular in this province, so people can get access to care.
[00:56:19] We need to tie emergency with urgent care so people can get triaged and treated faster.
[00:56:25] We need to look at the innovative capacity of our system, do broader procurement across hospitals, and adopt technology faster.
[00:56:33] Going to your family physician and getting referral should not be, hey, I know a guy, I'll send a fax.
[00:56:39] That's ridiculous and we all know it.
[00:56:41] We need to have digital health records, universal referral systems, and the ability to access treatment and care,
[00:56:46] especially for those with unique circumstances.
[00:56:49] And that's how we fix health care in Ontario.
[00:56:52] Okay, thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[00:56:53] I'm going to open the floor for rebuttals and open debate.
[00:56:56] I'll kick it off with a question.
[00:56:58] This is a strategy that the Ford government has been using,
[00:57:01] but I'll ask you what you think.
[00:57:02] Should more procedures be delivered by private clinics
[00:57:05] to alleviate the pressure on public hospitals?
[00:57:08] Go ahead, Lee.
[00:57:09] One thing I can tell you for sure we shouldn't be doing
[00:57:12] is paying three times as much to have those procedures done
[00:57:15] at those private clinics.
[00:57:17] I think that what I have seen is a government that is consciously eroding our public system
[00:57:22] while favoring the private system.
[00:57:24] If you want competition, keep the rules the same.
[00:57:28] We do need to turn our mind to the outcomes that we need for patients, though.
[00:57:32] We used to measure this.
[00:57:34] It used to be transparent.
[00:57:36] And we would work towards making sure people got access to the care that they need in a timely way.
[00:57:41] There are many creative ways that we could be using our system.
[00:57:45] There are many creative ways that we could be getting upstream on some of those health issues that then lead to people requiring surgery.
[00:57:53] We just need to make it a priority again.
[00:57:56] And it has not been a priority for this government.
[00:57:58] Eric, go ahead.
[00:57:59] The vast majority of medical operators in this province are privately run and OHIP compensated.
[00:58:05] And so that means that we need to look at what the incentive models behind how we pay for health care actually create greater capacity and optionality for people within the system.
[00:58:16] That does not mean privatization, but it does mean that we need to look at the competitiveness of the infrastructure that we've built and the incentives it creates to offer better care.
[00:58:27] And per private clinics, many of them have to deal with the capital cost as well as the operational cost.
[00:58:32] So we have to be clear about what our goals are, and that has to be expanding access and capacity.
[00:58:37] Okay, let's go to Navdeep and then Dylan.
[00:58:39] I want to be very clear where I stand on the issue of healthcare.
[00:58:43] I believe the system needs to be universal.
[00:58:45] I believe the system needs to be reliable, and it needs to be a public system.
[00:58:50] And what I mean by that is this Conservative government and Doug Ford have deliberately
[00:58:54] mismanaged and underfunded a healthcare system in order to create private solutions.
[00:59:01] and ends up costing taxpayers more money hurts the patient outcomes.
[00:59:05] And I want to reverse that.
[00:59:07] If you look at Doug Ford's donor base, if you look at who his buddies are,
[00:59:10] it's very clear what his strategy is.
[00:59:12] He wants to privatize health care, and I strongly oppose that.
[00:59:16] Great, Dylan, go ahead.
[00:59:17] So first I want to echo something Nav just said.
[00:59:19] The bedrock of our health care system is universality.
[00:59:23] And that's why when I, at the very early days of this campaign,
[00:59:27] committed to making comprehensive mental health care part of OHIP,
[00:59:30] I didn't say it should be part of OHIP for a certain age group or a certain income group,
[00:59:35] because if we don't maintain the principle of universality, we're chipping away at that
[00:59:41] principle and we're opening the floodgates to for-profit care. And let's make no mistake,
[00:59:46] Doug Ford has already privatized our healthcare system. He has deliberately degraded seniors care,
[00:59:52] which has created massive opportunities for for-profit providers and seniors care.
[00:59:57] And I was in Carleton just a few weeks ago meeting with a group of seniors, and they were scared to death of their health care and housing options once they weren't able to live in their home anymore.
[01:00:08] So they either wanted more home care, which Doug Ford can't deliver, or they wanted an equitable, not-for-profit seniors care system.
[01:00:16] And I think we need to get for-profit care, private care, completely out of our health care system, especially when it comes to our seniors.
[01:00:23] Okay, interesting. Stephanie Bowman, would you agree with that?
[01:00:25] You know, Tina, we have seen this Doug Ford Conservative government focus on making his rich friends richer.
[01:00:34] One of my, actually my very first question in question period when I was elected in 2022,
[01:00:38] was to talk about the Bill 124 that damaged our health care system because it drove nurses out of the profession.
[01:00:47] It drove a billion dollars in taxpayer money to private nursing agencies
[01:00:52] when we could have hired three times the number back in the public system.
[01:00:56] We need to make sure that we are spending each tax dollar wisely
[01:01:00] and that it is getting the outcomes that we need.
[01:01:03] We need to make sure that we're spending money not just on long-term care,
[01:01:07] but on solutions for people, seniors who want to age at home
[01:01:09] in naturally occurring retirement communities.
[01:01:11] We need to listen to the people who are working in the system
[01:01:15] because they have ideas on what we need to deliver.
[01:01:18] We know that public health care delivers better outcomes.
[01:01:21] We live longer here in Canada than in the U.S., in large part due to our amazing public health care system.
[01:01:27] And we know that it's been crumbling under this Doug Ford Conservative government,
[01:01:31] and we know that we need to build a stronger foundation so that our health care system can deliver results for people across this province,
[01:01:38] from urban to suburban to rural.
[01:01:40] We'll go to Navdeep next, and then Lee.
[01:01:42] There's another area where Doug Ford and the Conservatives have neglected.
[01:01:46] They cut funding for mental health.
[01:01:48] Mental health is health.
[01:01:49] And as Lee so eloquently put, we would make that part of the OHIP coverage.
[01:01:53] It is so important, especially for young people who are struggling in school.
[01:01:57] I've got two daughters, an 18-year-old and a 15-year-old, and a 16-year-old.
[01:02:02] She'd get mad at me for saying that. She just turned 16.
[01:02:05] But the point I'm making is they tell me stories about people that they know in their classrooms
[01:02:10] and what's happening in school. Kids are going through a lot.
[01:02:12] They don't have the mental health supports that they need.
[01:02:14] Families don't have the mental health supports that they need.
[01:02:17] That's why mental health is health.
[01:02:19] This is one area that I would prioritize to make sure there's appropriate funding.
[01:02:22] Okay, and Lee, go ahead.
[01:02:24] I did just want to pick up on the issue of agency for healthcare workers and others.
[01:02:30] And it really struck me when I was up in the north in Hearst, actually, where in a big city,
[01:02:36] we can actually work, I think, as hospitals and other providers to drive down our use of agency nursing
[01:02:43] in creative ways within our own walls.
[01:02:45] I've been part of doing that.
[01:02:47] In the far north, it is very, very difficult to recruit people.
[01:02:51] And I would put in place some laws and regulations that would limit just how much those private agencies can gouge those remote areas.
[01:03:00] It is a ridiculous waste of public money.
[01:03:03] And it does remind me of when Bill 124 was in place and I was a leader of a hospital with one hand tied behind my back.
[01:03:10] while those agencies were recruiting our own nurses away in the middle of a pandemic.
[01:03:15] We have to think about ways that we can make it easier for people to get the care that they need.
[01:03:22] Okay, thank you, candidates.

## Lightning round: where government should spend less

[01:03:23] It's time to move on to the third lightning round.
[01:03:27] So again, you'll have 30 seconds or one or two sentences to answer this question.
[01:03:31] So finish the sentence, one area where government should spend less is.
[01:03:36] Stephanie Bowman, we'll start with you.
[01:03:37] One area where government should spend less.
[01:03:40] Making their rich friends richer.
[01:03:43] We've seen this government find solutions to problems that don't exist.
[01:03:48] We need to stop that now.
[01:03:50] Okay, and Lee Fairclough?
[01:03:54] I think that there's so many priorities of this government that could be different.
[01:03:59] Fantasy projects of Doug Ford are among the top of my list.
[01:04:03] Money to dig a tunnel under the 401, put a new convention center in Lake Ontario.
[01:04:08] is our random thoughts, and yet we are not prioritizing the real needs of people in Ontario.
[01:04:15] Okay, thank you, Lee.
[01:04:16] Navdeep Bains, one area where government should spend less is?
[01:04:19] One area where the government should spend less on are self-promotional ads.
[01:04:25] Hundreds of millions of dollars on promoting themselves
[01:04:27] and not investing in health care and education.
[01:04:30] That's completely unacceptable.
[01:04:32] Thank you, Navdeep.
[01:04:33] Dylan Marando, one area government should spend less?
[01:04:35] I'm with Nav on this.
[01:04:36] its ads and I'll just say I can't imagine a more obvious admission of failure than a provincial
[01:04:42] government spending millions of dollars to celebrate the construction of prisons. I think
[01:04:46] that's an absolute disgrace from our provincial government. Thank you Dylan Marando. Eric Lombardi.
[01:04:51] We need to stop outsourcing our state capacity to private public consortiums that have doubled,
[01:04:57] tripled or quadrupled the cost of building infrastructure in this province. Okay thank

## Education and government power

[01:05:01] you, Eric Lombardi. We're going to move on to our next topic, education and government power.
[01:05:08] The Ford government has increasingly centralized decision-making at Queen's Park, taking some power
[01:05:12] away from municipalities, school boards, and other local institutions, claiming it will reduce
[01:05:16] spending, act faster, and deliver results. When do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park
[01:05:21] to step in and overrule a local institution? Each candidate has 60 seconds to respond.
[01:05:27] Navdeep Bains, let's start with you.
[01:05:29] Look, Tina, this is a very simple strategy that the Conservatives deploy.
[01:05:35] When things don't work out, it's the blame game.
[01:05:37] If kids' test scores are going down, oh, we're going to blame the teachers, we're going
[01:05:41] to blame the school board trustees.
[01:05:44] I think of my own experience when I started in the opening remarks, I talked about my
[01:05:47] upbringing and going through the public education system.
[01:05:50] It was very clear that I had the supports that I needed.
[01:05:53] My grade 6 teacher, Mrs. Oguino, spent time with me to set me on the right track when
[01:05:58] I was struggling.
[01:06:00] That's what we need from our education system.
[01:06:02] More resources, more support, smaller classroom sizes, so kids have an actual chance to succeed.
[01:06:08] And the reality today is this government just blames folks.
[01:06:12] And that's why half the kids can't even meet the provincial standards for math.
[01:06:17] Think about it.
[01:06:18] We've talked about AI and innovation and the disruption we're seeing in society.
[01:06:21] How are we setting up kids for success if they can't even get the basics right?
[01:06:25] That's why education is so important to me.
[01:06:27] It is the greatest equalizer we have in society and I would make sure, I wouldn't blame anyone
[01:06:31] to provide them with the appropriate resources they need.
[01:06:34] Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[01:06:35] Next we'll go to Eric Lombardi.
[01:06:38] When do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park to step in and overrule a local
[01:06:42] institution?
[01:06:43] Look, I think it's important that we have proper electoral reform in Ontario, as well
[01:06:48] as well as looking to local leaders in order to represent their people properly.
[01:06:53] That said, we have a role in the province to set better standards for how we do procedures.
[01:06:58] If you look at the housing system, we have 440 municipalities making up effectively the
[01:07:03] same policy prescriptions.
[01:07:04] And so we have to look to aid our partners rather than bulldoze them in particular.
[01:07:11] And when it comes to things like education, we need to trust people at the ends of the
[01:07:15] system.
[01:07:16] And I do think that we've over-concentrated power, not just at the end in the Premier's
[01:07:20] office, but in the middle.
[01:07:22] And so we need to look to our systems to devolve power back to where the decisions can be best
[01:07:27] made and best accountable.
[01:07:28] And for our schools in particular, that is at the individual school level.
[01:07:33] But broadly speaking, when it comes to electoral trust, we can't just shift chairs on the Titanic.
[01:07:39] We have to look at the problems for what they are and offer concrete solutions to solve
[01:07:43] them for what they are.
[01:07:44] Okay.
[01:07:45] Thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[01:07:46] When do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park to step in and overrule a local institution?
[01:07:52] When I look at what has happened with education, there has not been a focus that is needed on our kids.
[01:08:00] This whole, you know, what we are seeing with this government is just a power grab.
[01:08:05] We are seeing it in the education system.
[01:08:07] We're seeing it in the conservation authorities.
[01:08:09] We're seeing it in the appointment of regional chairs.
[01:08:12] I do believe that we need to have accountability, especially for our public funds, especially when it involves our kids' education.
[01:08:21] And I have worked and reported to a board myself.
[01:08:25] I took that very seriously in the use of taxpayer money and making sure that we are giving people the health care they need.
[01:08:32] If a board is not actually doing the right thing, they should be held accountable.
[01:08:38] But this is not what has happened here.
[01:08:40] Let's not kid ourselves.
[01:08:42] This has been a matter of Doug Ford and the Minister of Education deciding that they are going to reduce all the powers, make the decisions about education for our kids.
[01:08:53] I would change that. I would make sure that we had class sizes that met targets.
[01:08:57] I would make sure.
[01:08:59] That's time.
[01:09:00] Stephanie Bowman, when do you believe it is appropriate for Queen's Park to step in and overrule a local institution?
[01:09:06] Tina, I would like this government to focus on doing its job.
[01:09:10] and that includes on education.
[01:09:13] We know that the school system is crumbling.
[01:09:16] I've got parents coming to me and talking about how their children
[01:09:19] with special needs can't get the support that they need.
[01:09:23] I've got teachers who talk to me about how they're just counting the days
[01:09:26] till they can retire because the classrooms are not safe,
[01:09:30] because there are not enough adults in the classroom.
[01:09:33] I visit my local schools and I hear them say,
[01:09:35] oh yeah, last year we had one and a half special ed teachers.
[01:09:38] This fall we'll only have one.
[01:09:39] This government is cutting education and our children are paying the price for that.
[01:09:45] We need to make sure that we are investing in our children's education and that includes making sure we have enough adults in the classroom.
[01:09:52] That includes making sure that we listen to teachers about what the curriculum needs to do and how it needs to evolve to allow our children to be ready for what's next when it comes to the world of AI.
[01:10:03] And how do they cope with the mental health challenges that they're facing.
[01:10:07] We need to make sure that we are investing in our system today.
[01:10:10] That's time. Thank you, Stephanie Bowman. Dylan Marando, you're up next.
[01:10:13] In this campaign, I've traveled to every corner of the province.
[01:10:17] Northeast, the Northwest, the Southwest, and the Southeast.
[01:10:21] This is what I hear most often.
[01:10:24] We're willing to go to the wall for our kids.
[01:10:28] We're willing to go to the wall for our publicly funded education system.
[01:10:34] because we know that's the right thing to do for our kids.
[01:10:37] It's the right thing to do for the economic mobility of parents.
[01:10:41] And it's the right thing to do for our economic future.
[01:10:46] So as Premier, this file is on the center of my desk.
[01:10:50] This is a non-negotiable.
[01:10:52] Smaller class sizes are a non-negotiable.
[01:10:54] Specialized supports for students with exceptionalities is a non-negotiable.
[01:11:00] Access to affordable early learning and child care is a non-negotiable.
[01:11:06] There is nothing more important on the Premier's desk than our publicly funded education system.
[01:11:11] Okay, thank you, Dylan Marando.
[01:11:12] Let's open the floor for rebuttals and debate.
[01:11:14] I saw Navdeep's hand up, so go ahead.
[01:11:17] I do not trust Doug Ford with overseeing our education system.
[01:11:21] And it's clear his plan hasn't worked.
[01:11:23] He actually doesn't have a plan.
[01:11:25] Look at the last eight years.
[01:11:26] Test scores are getting worse, classroom sizes are getting bigger, kids are not getting the supports that they need for mental health.
[01:11:32] And as Dylan's mentioned, like early learning in childcare, that's a no-brainer.
[01:11:36] You have a federal government, a meaningful partner, trying to make that a real solution for families.
[01:11:41] And this government has abysmally failed that as well.
[01:11:43] And it's not only K-12 for early learning in childcare, it's also post-secondary institutions.
[01:11:49] They deliberately, this government has deliberately mismanaged our post-secondary institutions.
[01:11:55] And that's why you're seeing kids struggling.
[01:11:57] And we saw the latest OSAP cuts and access issues,
[01:12:01] but also lack of faculty members, lack of programming.
[01:12:04] We're seeing operational budgets being cut.
[01:12:07] This is undermining our crown jewel, which are our post-secondary institutions.
[01:12:11] Education is a cornerstone of a strong economy,
[01:12:13] and I would invest more money because it's the best possible investment we could make in our province.
[01:12:18] Okay, thank you, Navdeep. Eric Lombardi, go ahead.
[01:12:20] We have to understand that when the middle of our systems don't execute the way that they should,
[01:12:25] we give power to dismantle the way that they work.
[01:12:28] You know, when I hear a $20,000 dishwasher replacement in the TDSB,
[01:12:32] we need to question exactly what we're doing.
[01:12:34] And I think sometimes we fail to be honest about the problems that we see in systems
[01:12:38] and leave too much leeway for incumbents to dictate the outcomes.
[01:12:42] And that's where we need greater accountability.
[01:12:44] So for instance, with great inflation, we know there are solutions,
[01:12:47] like standardized university and college entrance exams,
[01:12:50] that we know are hard topics.
[01:12:52] but we need to be able to discuss them honestly so that parents can trust us again.
[01:12:57] And they know that not every school board is perfect.
[01:13:00] So we always need to lean towards making better
[01:13:04] and have proper accountability at every level where decisions are made.
[01:13:08] I'll go to Lee next.
[01:13:08] And if you can touch on what Eric was talking about,
[01:13:11] about accountability for school boards, how would you hold them accountable?
[01:13:15] Well, I mean, first of all, I do just want to come back to our kids and our schools
[01:13:19] because this government, you know, threatened the big overhaul on school trustees,
[01:13:23] changed their roles, appointed supervisors,
[01:13:26] and passed a law that was about student achievement without actually addressing that.
[01:13:31] We need to make sure that we get class classes down to two targets again.
[01:13:35] We need to invest in making sure that the right complement of educators are in the classroom
[01:13:41] to address special education.
[01:13:43] The Auditor General told us very clearly, told the government very clearly,
[01:13:46] They are not investing enough.
[01:13:50] And we need to make sure the curriculum is led by educators.
[01:13:54] That is going to be very critical.
[01:13:56] And I think that in terms of accountability, there's transparency.
[01:14:00] There's metrics.
[01:14:01] There's ways that we can hold our public institutions to account.
[01:14:06] But it's fascinating to me that these government-appointed leaders
[01:14:10] that went into these organizations came to the exact same conclusions
[01:14:14] as those school boards.
[01:14:16] Thank you. Dylan Marando, you're next.
[01:14:19] So to your question, when is it appropriate for provincial government to try to override elected officials?
[01:14:26] School board trustees are elected officials.
[01:14:28] My answer to that is almost never.
[01:14:31] And we can't become what we're trying to beat.
[01:14:34] We can't cherry pick some small example of a silly expense in a school board and pretend like the system is broken.
[01:14:41] It's not broken.
[01:14:42] Our school boards are functional.
[01:14:44] Our teachers, our educators are doing heroic work.
[01:14:47] And we have to value our frontline workers in the care economy.
[01:14:50] And there's two ways to do that.
[01:14:52] Yes, pay. Yes, benefits. Yes, pensions.
[01:14:54] But you also have to empower them.
[01:14:56] You have to listen to them.
[01:14:57] You have to show that you're trusting them.
[01:14:59] And one of the worst things that Doug Ford has done to our education system
[01:15:03] is make our educators and our vice principals
[01:15:06] and our principals and administrators feel disempowered.
[01:15:10] He has created a culture of fear and distrust
[01:15:12] that is corrosive in education and across our public sector.
[01:15:16] And that's why I would not be doing what he's doing
[01:15:18] with our school boards and our elected school board trustees.
[01:15:21] Go ahead, Stephanie.
[01:15:23] You know, Tina, at a recent finance committee hearing on the budget,
[01:15:28] I heard a representative from the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario
[01:15:32] talk about how, you know, we used to come to bargain
[01:15:34] and we were bargaining for our rights as teachers.
[01:15:37] Now we're bargaining for the kids.
[01:15:39] The kids in our system are suffering because we're not giving them the supports they need
[01:15:44] with mental health, with special needs, and with a curriculum that prepares them for what's coming next.
[01:15:50] We need to make sure that we are investing in more co-op programs,
[01:15:54] investing in home ec and shop so that kids know how they've got life skills that they're lacking today.
[01:16:00] We need to make sure that they understand the changing world of media.
[01:16:05] And that starts with a government that actually believes and cares about education,
[01:16:09] a leader who believes and cares in education.
[01:16:12] And that includes things like making sure that our classrooms actually have air conditioning.
[01:16:17] I visited a classroom one day last spring, and it was about 40 degrees in that room.
[01:16:23] The children were sweating in their seats, and so was their teacher.
[01:16:27] It's hard to learn or work in that kind of environment.
[01:16:30] Look, I agree with Steph.
[01:16:31] Our schools are crumbling.
[01:16:32] It is an absolute disaster to watch this.
[01:16:35] And I would say it's always about the kids.
[01:16:37] We've got to focus on what we're trying to achieve here.
[01:16:39] That's always the goal is, are we setting them up for success?
[01:16:43] Do they have the confidence, the critical skills to get ahead?
[01:16:46] Is there a pathway for them?
[01:16:48] Maybe it's co-op.
[01:16:50] Maybe it's skills and trades.
[01:16:51] But whatever the path that they want to pursue, are they getting the right guidance and support?
[01:16:55] And I'll tell you why I mention that.
[01:16:57] When I was industry minister and I would go abroad and talk about investing in Ontario and in Canada,
[01:17:02] you know what it boiled down to?
[01:17:03] our world-class workforce, our highly educated population.
[01:17:08] This is our differentiating factor.
[01:17:09] This is what makes Ontario so special.
[01:17:12] And this Conservative government has deliberately again ignored that.
[01:17:16] They're not investing in people.
[01:17:17] If you invest in skills, you invest in education, you attract more investment.
[01:17:21] That's what I did as an industry minister.
[01:17:23] That's what we need for a strong economy.
[01:17:25] We need more investment that creates more jobs.
[01:17:26] Well, you can tell what this government thinks about education
[01:17:29] when they turn our higher education system into effectively a Ponzi scheme
[01:17:33] in order to pay for it.
[01:17:34] And what matters is that we actually have a lot of solutions that we know.
[01:17:39] We need to restore investment according to inflation
[01:17:42] that has been lost since 2017 to all of our education systems.
[01:17:46] Education is the great equalizer in a liberal society.
[01:17:50] We don't always care about equality of outcome,
[01:17:52] but if you want people to have opportunity, it starts with education.
[01:17:57] That means putting money and resources back in schools.
[01:17:59] and then the decision-making authority, once again, back in schools.
[01:18:03] We should see more innovation out of the system.
[01:18:06] We should see more novel programs.
[01:18:07] We should see more direct-to-vocational training.
[01:18:10] And we should see resiliency be a part of how we teach our kids
[01:18:14] to become full adults that are capable of navigating their lives.
[01:18:17] There's so much we can do to help this system become better.
[01:18:21] Let's go to Lee next.
[01:18:23] We've been focusing on this example in education,
[01:18:25] but I do think that your question really speaks to something bigger than this.
[01:18:30] We have seen time and time again this government overreaching,
[01:18:34] whether it is on the appointment of regional chairs,
[01:18:36] whether it is on conservation authorities,
[01:18:39] whether it is on legislation where special economic zones are,
[01:18:43] just to be able to do whatever they want.
[01:18:47] Yet, where is the accountability for themselves?
[01:18:51] You look at what has happened with this recent expense scandal.
[01:18:55] MPPs that live closer to Queen's Park than I do,
[01:18:58] expensing over $100,000 in hotel fees.
[01:19:02] I mean, it is outrageous.
[01:19:05] I mean, I heard from constituents,
[01:19:06] the night they rolled back the freedom of information laws,
[01:19:09] right when they're under an RCMP investigation,
[01:19:13] I had an outpouring from my constituents.
[01:19:15] Of course, it was coupled with the timing of the luxury jet.
[01:19:18] But, you know, really and truly, there's this power grab,
[01:19:22] there's this override of the local perspectives
[01:19:24] If somebody grew up in a small town, I can tell you,
[01:19:27] they don't know all the details of Queen's Park
[01:19:30] about what needs to be happening in those small towns.
[01:19:32] I think it's time this government took a good look at themselves
[01:19:35] and held themselves accountable.
[01:19:37] Okay, thank you, Lee Fairclough and all of the candidates.

## Lightning round: lessons from past jobs

[01:19:40] It's time to move on to the final lightning round.
[01:19:43] So each candidate will have 30 seconds or one or two sentences to respond.
[01:19:47] Finish the sentence.
[01:19:48] One job I've had that taught me something the Liberal Party needs to learn is.
[01:19:54] We'll start with you, Navdeep Bains.
[01:19:55] One job I've had that taught me something the Liberal Party needs to learn is?
[01:20:00] One job that I had was being a co-chair for a national campaign.
[01:20:04] And that taught me the importance of building a strong team and recruiting great candidates.
[01:20:09] In order to be Doug Ford, we need a strong team and a strong plan.
[01:20:13] And I have experience doing both.
[01:20:14] Okay, thank you.
[01:20:15] Eric Lombardi, one job that you've had that has taught you something that the Liberal Party needs to learn?
[01:20:21] When I was in high school, I used to ref soccer.
[01:20:23] And what I learned is that if you maintain order properly, you can get a team to work effectively.
[01:20:28] Okay, thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[01:20:29] Lee Fairclough, one job you've had that taught you something the Liberal Party should learn.
[01:20:34] As an executive at a hospital, there are so many important roles that people play
[01:20:39] just to make sure that we can deliver the care that we need to.
[01:20:44] As I've come into politics, this is such a team sport.
[01:20:47] And it's really recognizing that we need to invite people in, hear their voices, and make sure that everybody can be part of the change.
[01:20:56] Stephanie Bowman, one job that you've had that taught you something the Liberal Party should learn?
[01:21:02] Tina, my service on the board of the Bank of Canada taught me how important the economic institutions are that people rely on for our prosperity and opportunity.
[01:21:11] and we need to make sure as Ontario Liberals
[01:21:14] that we are focused on delivering an economy
[01:21:16] that everybody can contribute to and can benefit from.
[01:21:20] Okay, and finally, Dylan Marando,
[01:21:21] one job you've had that you've learned something
[01:21:23] the Liberal Party could learn.
[01:21:25] No surprise here.
[01:21:26] My job's working for two premiers and a prime minister
[01:21:28] where I got to contribute to extraordinary Liberal teams
[01:21:31] that knew how to win and knew how to govern.
[01:21:34] Okay, thank you, candidates.

## Ontario's economy and U.S. tariffs

[01:21:35] It's time for our final segment, Ontario's economy.
[01:21:39] Ontario's economy is deeply tied to the United States,
[01:21:42] and Doug Ford made his response to U.S. tariffs
[01:21:44] a central part of his re-election campaign last year.
[01:21:48] What did he get right that Liberals missed,
[01:21:50] and how would you have responded to Ontarians' concerns about the U.S. tariffs?
[01:21:55] Each candidate will have 60 seconds to respond.
[01:21:58] Lee Fairclough, over to you first.
[01:21:59] I think it's really important that the Premier of Ontario
[01:22:03] is looking to restore business investment productivity
[01:22:08] and confidence for investors.
[01:22:11] And that will happen by reducing some of the friction and uncertainty.
[01:22:14] And I would say that Doug Ford's fantasy projects do nothing to help that.
[01:22:21] I would build things faster.
[01:22:23] I would make sure that we focus Ontario procurement.
[01:22:27] You asked about something good that we did.
[01:22:29] We did pass laws that started moving in that direction
[01:22:32] to make sure that we were procuring within Ontario.
[01:22:36] And we need to modernize our growth around AI, around electricity, and around precious minerals.
[01:22:42] We have so much strength.
[01:22:43] When I was in the north, I saw it in mining, in forestry, a $51 billion agriculture sector.
[01:22:50] We can do so much more locally in Ontario, and the Premier needs to lean into that strength.
[01:22:57] The government also needs to be a partner to municipalities and communities
[01:23:00] so they can recruit the talent that they need to create strong economies.
[01:23:05] I would also reverse the decisions of Doug Ford, who cancelled all the green energy projects.
[01:23:11] That's time. Thank you, Lee. We'll go to Dylan Marando next.
[01:23:13] Dylan, what did Ford get right that the Liberals missed,
[01:23:16] and how would you have responded to Ontarians' concerns about U.S. tariffs?
[01:23:20] Following my time in government, I worked in the part of the private sector that makes stuff.
[01:23:25] I was on the Canadian leadership team for one of the world's oldest and largest manufacturers.
[01:23:30] And the reason a company like that operates in a jurisdiction like Ontario is predictability.
[01:23:40] Predictability of government decision-making.
[01:23:42] Predictability of talent.
[01:23:44] And that's why we need to get past the chaotic flip-flopping of Doug Ford.
[01:23:50] We need to remind folks that Ontario is being led by the same steady hand that stabilized the economy in the Great Recession.
[01:23:59] Ontario is being led by the same steady hand that stabilized the economy during COVID.
[01:24:05] Liberals aren't left-wing. We're not right-wing.
[01:24:07] We're hard-working problem solvers who roll up our sleeves and get the big stuff done.
[01:24:13] Yes on health care, yes on education, and yes on the economy.
[01:24:17] Thank you, Dylan Marando. Eric Lombardi, you're up next.
[01:24:20] Well, what they got right is that they talked about it and focused on economic security and job protection as the focus of their campaign.
[01:24:26] But what we also need to recognize is that economic security is about being able to sell
[01:24:31] to the world what it needs and cannot get elsewhere.
[01:24:35] And so we should avoid the protectionist impulse and look what our extraordinary advantages
[01:24:39] are in this province.
[01:24:41] We've got talent, we've got land, we've got incredibly complex industry.
[01:24:45] We have a major potential role to play in the future of robotics.
[01:24:49] AI was invented here.
[01:24:51] We can scale IP services and goods and sell to the world.
[01:24:56] And in doing so, we can bring back the best value-added jobs to Ontario.
[01:25:00] We can tax that efficiently and fairly, so we can provide a level of human welfare, the
[01:25:05] fitting of an advanced society.
[01:25:09] Taiwan doesn't protect its interests because, you know, we like the Taiwanese.
[01:25:13] Their interests get protected because they are critical to the semiconductor supply chain.
[01:25:17] And so Ontario, if we want to navigate the future risks of a multipolar, hegemonic world,
[01:25:24] we'd have security through great economics.
[01:25:28] Thank you, Eric Lombardi.
[01:25:29] Navdeep Bains, you're next.
[01:25:31] Well, Tina, I've dealt with Donald Trump in his first term as industry minister.
[01:25:34] And I can tell you very clearly that I fought hard for protecting the automotive sector.
[01:25:40] I can also tell you that we need to be unified.
[01:25:43] There will be no separation between myself and the other premiers and the prime minister
[01:25:47] when it comes to defending Canada's interests.
[01:25:50] But we've got to focus on what we can control.
[01:25:52] I just came back from Thunder Bay.
[01:25:54] Why haven't we twinned Highway 11 and 17?
[01:25:58] Why haven't we twinned Highway 69 and completed that?
[01:26:01] I mean, these are enormous opportunities
[01:26:03] for us to control our own destiny
[01:26:05] by investing in an infrastructure
[01:26:07] that would allow us to take advantage of the North.
[01:26:10] The North should not be an afterthought.
[01:26:12] The challenge is that this Premier likes to play this game
[01:26:16] regarding Donald Trump, but is not making the investments that he needs to.
[01:26:20] I've got a track record, and I would work with my federal colleagues
[01:26:23] to take advantage of market access to help our businesses
[01:26:25] to create more local jobs as well.
[01:26:27] Okay, finally, we'll go to Stephanie Bowman.
[01:26:30] What did Ford get right that the Liberals missed,
[01:26:32] and how would you have responded to Ontarians' concerns about U.S. tariffs?
[01:26:36] Tina, as the finance and trade critic for the Ontario Liberal Caucus,
[01:26:40] I have been laser-focused on exactly these kinds of issues.
[01:26:45] Ontario can be a powerhouse.
[01:26:47] But under this government, we've actually been a laggard on the Canadian economy.
[01:26:51] We've dragged it down.
[01:26:53] And we know that if we diversify our economy,
[01:26:56] we can create jobs and wealth for people across this province.
[01:27:00] Recently, I was at a greenhouse in Leamington.
[01:27:03] We can be a powerhouse in agriculture like that greenhouse farmer is doing
[01:27:08] if we're investing in things and making sure that our grid is ready to take those kinds of investments.
[01:27:13] We know that we can draw tourists here.
[01:27:16] You know, the Tourism Association has been asking for a few million dollars
[01:27:19] to do some advertising outside of Ontario to draw in tourists here.
[01:27:23] We can be a superpower in energy because we've got the talent and the resources to do that.
[01:27:29] But to do that, we need a leader that understands the economy,
[01:27:33] that understands how business works and how to partner with businesses.
[01:27:36] And that leader is me.
[01:27:37] Okay, thank you, Stephanie Bowman.
[01:27:39] I'll open the floor to debate.
[01:27:40] And go ahead, Dylan Marando.
[01:27:41] So two points. First, I want to echo something Nav said. The North is the future of our economy.
[01:27:49] Investing in the Northwest and Northeast in this province is the difference between modest economic growth and major economic growth.
[01:27:57] So I believe that we shouldn't be putting a single dollar into transportation infrastructure in Toronto until we have twin Highway 69 and Highway 17 and Highway 11.
[01:28:08] The second thing I want to say with respect to Trump is that the reason Doug Ford can't beat Trump is because he wants to be Trump.
[01:28:17] He is a grandstanding bully who doesn't believe in the value of public services.
[01:28:22] He doesn't believe in the value of publicly funded education.
[01:28:25] He doesn't believe in affordable and accessible post-secondary education.
[01:28:29] And as Nav said, if I'm going to go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump or anyone else in an economic war, the thing I want more than anything is the most talented workforce in the world.
[01:28:39] And to get that workforce, we need publicly funded education and affordable and accessible post-secondary education.
[01:28:46] Okay, and just picking up on a point you made, when the problem is fundamentally a federal trade issue, where does the province's responsibility begin and end?
[01:28:55] Go ahead, Lee.
[01:28:56] I think that what we have seen is the Prime Minister is out there trying to do the work for Canada.
[01:29:02] And I believe in our Federation, our premiers, they need to be a part of Team Canada in a real way,
[01:29:08] not actually running an ad just at a time that's going to run upstream to the goals of what we're trying to achieve as a country.
[01:29:16] But the Premier of Ontario, and this is how I would be, I would be a collaborator with the Federation,
[01:29:21] but we then also need to make sure that everything is working here for Ontario,
[01:29:26] getting the jobs we need,
[01:29:27] and also prioritizing those things that are going to keep people well,
[01:29:31] keep people getting their education and our future generation
[01:29:34] ready for economic prosperity.
[01:29:37] Okay, thank you, Lee. I'll go to Navdeep next.
[01:29:39] Look, Lee's right. It's about jobs.
[01:29:41] That's what we've got to focus on.
[01:29:43] When I was in Windsor-Tecumseh
[01:29:44] and speaking to the tool, dye, and mold industry there,
[01:29:48] I asked, what makes you so successful?
[01:29:50] What makes Windsor-Tecumseh the envy of North America when it comes to investments there?
[01:29:56] Why do companies come to Windsor-Tecumseh?
[01:29:58] And the reason was very clear.
[01:30:00] Top-notch engineers, designers, machinists.
[01:30:04] Investments in people allow us to create the opportunity to get more people and more companies to come here.
[01:30:10] That's what we've got to focus on.
[01:30:12] Doug Ford likes to talk about Donald Trump,
[01:30:14] knowing full well that he can abandon his responsibilities and obligation on education,
[01:30:21] on skills development, and investing in small businesses.
[01:30:24] He does that time and time again, and that's why I'm running.
[01:30:27] Because there's a sense of urgency, we've got to turn things around.
[01:30:30] Okay, Stephanie, next.
[01:30:32] Tina, we've got a Premier right now who on one hand talks about opening up borders with the rest of the country,
[01:30:38] and then on the other hand puts out a Buy Ontario bill.
[01:30:41] He's confusing our business leaders and he's confusing the public.
[01:30:46] Where are his priorities?
[01:30:48] We need to be investing in industries today that can create jobs for people.
[01:30:52] We need to be investing in our small businesses.
[01:30:54] We know that small businesses under this premier are closing at a faster rate than they are opening.
[01:31:00] And that's actually hurting jobs for young people too.
[01:31:02] So investing in things like a youth career fund that would give people their first jobs
[01:31:07] and allow them to get ahead to prosper so that they don't go south of the border.
[01:31:11] You know, my daughter's an engineer and studied business,
[01:31:14] and many of her friends are going to the U.S. because they see greater opportunity there.
[01:31:19] We need to make sure that we have stronger foundations in our public institutions
[01:31:24] so that young people know that they can build their lives here in Ontario.
[01:31:28] Go ahead, Lee.
[01:31:29] The one thing that I really observed at Queen's Park this year
[01:31:32] as we had different groups coming to meet
[01:31:34] is that they were trying to get access to some of the resources
[01:31:37] that were going to allow them to retool and reinvent in industries.
[01:31:42] I think about the agricultural sector, a $51 billion sector.
[01:31:47] Right now, we should be thinking about our food sovereignty.
[01:31:51] And I have released a policy that covers a whole range of issues.
[01:31:55] But at the core of it is that we need to grow local,
[01:31:58] we need to process local, and then we need to encourage it, buying local.
[01:32:02] Farmers and others have been asking this government for the kind of supports and even loan guarantees to start young farmers off on the right track.
[01:32:11] This is the kind of moment when a provincial government should be looking to help all of these local economies, not hinder them.
[01:32:18] Okay, thank you. I'll go to Eric next.
[01:32:20] I think what we're missing here is that you can't create a better economy from the top down.
[01:32:24] The government needs to focus on the inputs to a healthier economy.
[01:32:27] healthier economy, the efficient movement of people, goods, ideas, talent within an ecosystem.
[01:32:33] And what we miss a lot in Ontario is the importance of how we do things and not just what we're
[01:32:38] doing.
[01:32:39] If you look at how we build infrastructure, for instance, we do it as one-off and project-based
[01:32:44] instances.
[01:32:45] We need to think about our systems like a manufacturing process so we can invest in
[01:32:49] the fundamentals so that the people of Ontario can drive innovation, that they can take risks
[01:32:54] and create jobs.
[01:32:55] And when we talk about new subsidies and new programs, we have to remember that we're
[01:33:00] taxing either the people or the future in order to pay for that.
[01:33:03] And that destroys jobs as well.
[01:33:06] And in this moment of global uncertainty, we have to resist the impulse to become protectionist,
[01:33:12] because that means that our industries don't compete, then they don't innovate, and then
[01:33:15] eventually they lose out.
[01:33:17] We have to focus on the fundamentals of our economy if we want a strong foundation.
[01:33:21] Okay, thank you.
[01:33:22] Navdeep Bains, last word to you.
[01:33:23] Look, speaking of fundamentals, one issue that we haven't discussed is working with Indigenous people and Indigenous communities.
[01:33:30] I was speaking with Jeff Kopanounce from, he's Ishinabe and from the Ojibwe First Nation of the Honegaming.
[01:33:37] And he was telling me that when he's dealing with proponents on economic development opportunities, there's like, here's a document, sign it.
[01:33:44] That's not the way it's supposed to be.
[01:33:46] It's got to be meaningful engagement to truly unleash that potential as well.
[01:33:50] And Doug Ford has been missing in action when it comes to that level of engagement.

## Closing statements

[01:33:53] Okay, thank you candidates. It's now time for closing statements. So each candidate will have 90 seconds. And Dylan Marando, we will start with you for your closing statement. Go ahead.
[01:34:05] We are in the fight of our lives. And we're not going to win if we're fighting at half strength. We're not going to win with a premier that's writing off entire regions of this province, entire sectors, entire classes of workers.
[01:34:20] We're not going to win with a premier that doesn't believe in the value of public services.
[01:34:27] So we need to change.
[01:34:29] And we need to get back to doing what liberals do best,
[01:34:33] investing in people and investing in communities.
[01:34:37] Now, I'm not suggesting that we should take a step backward.
[01:34:40] What I am saying is that there are a generation of liberals
[01:34:44] who have served our party in the trenches, in government,
[01:34:49] who are ready to step up and take the torch of leadership.
[01:34:53] We aren't running to deliver a one-election strategy.
[01:34:57] We're running to deliver a four-election strategy.
[01:35:00] Win, then win again, and again, and again.
[01:35:04] That's what I'm signing up for.
[01:35:06] I hope you will too.
[01:35:07] Okay. Thank you, Dylan Marando.
[01:35:09] Navdeep Bains, you're up next.
[01:35:11] Thank you very much, Tina.
[01:35:12] I just want to start off where I began,
[01:35:14] which was talking about my parents
[01:35:15] and the opportunities afforded to them.
[01:35:17] They came here with very modest means and they were able to succeed because this province afforded them the opportunity to succeed.
[01:35:26] I had those same opportunities as well growing up.
[01:35:29] But the reality is my daughter's generation, they don't have those same opportunities.
[01:35:33] Those opportunities are disappearing.
[01:35:35] I understand that the situation is very, very difficult for many people everywhere.
[01:35:41] and that's why I want to make sure that we have solutions to help people get ahead.
[01:35:51] That's the way this deal is supposed to work.
[01:35:53] If you work hard and you're falling further behind, that's not the way this province is set up.
[01:35:58] We have to turn things around.
[01:36:00] There's a real sense of urgency I have, and that's why I'm running,
[01:36:03] to make sure that the decline that we're seeing in our economy, in health care, in education,
[01:36:09] even in public safety, is reversed.
[01:36:12] I want to focus on solutions.
[01:36:14] I want to work hard.
[01:36:16] I want to make sure that we are very clear to the people of this province
[01:36:19] that we're going to do everything we can to earn their trust.
[01:36:22] And it starts with the Liberal Party, rebuilding the party,
[01:36:26] engaging the commissions, engaging the grassroots,
[01:36:29] finding great candidates,
[01:36:31] and putting forward a very comprehensive team and plan
[01:36:33] that will be a viable alternative to Doug Ford
[01:36:36] and send a very clear message that Ontario can lead again.
[01:36:40] Okay.
[01:36:40] Thank you, Navdeep Bains.
[01:36:42] Lee Fairclough, your closing statement.
[01:36:44] It's time for serious government that is a partner, not a problem.
[01:36:51] Voters are looking for Ontario Liberals to be that partner for them.
[01:36:57] Current government, Doug Ford and the Conservatives, is a disaster.
[01:37:01] They have forgotten about you and the challenges that you face.
[01:37:05] people are hungry for change and you won't find anyone more different than Doug Ford than me I've
[01:37:12] led a hospital I know what policy looks like on the ground I'm the mom of teenage boys and the
[01:37:17] daughter of aging parents and I've played championship rugby for team Canada I have
[01:37:23] turned a seat in Doug Ford's backyard from Tory blue to liberal red and we need to do that in
[01:37:30] every part of this province and we need to do it because it is urgent. People need access to the
[01:37:37] care that they need, an education to support our children's future and they need us to make sure
[01:37:43] there's good jobs and to stop and lower the worry around the cost of food and we need an economy
[01:37:49] that works in all parts of this government. Ontario's best days are ahead. Les meilleurs jours
[01:37:56] It's time. We can make this happen. Let's join together and as Ontario Liberals, let's get back out on the field.
[01:38:09] Okay, thank you, Lee Fairclough. Eric Lombardi, your closing statement.
[01:38:13] We are choosing more than a leader for our Ontario Liberal Party.
[01:38:17] Ultimately, each of us is asking you, and then Ontarians, to entrust us with power to make decisions that affect your life and govern.
[01:38:24] And so each of us has the obligation to ask an important question.
[01:38:29] Why should you trust us?
[01:38:32] Now, there will always be flowery language in politics,
[01:38:35] but who really understands the stakes for Ontario in this moment?
[01:38:39] Who's really putting forward a vision to restore an attainable middle-class life?
[01:38:44] Who has demonstrated the knowledge to help Ontario navigate the technological and economic changes that are ahead?
[01:38:50] And who has been the most transparent about the trade-offs and hard choices that meaningful change will require?
[01:38:58] That candidate is me.
[01:39:00] Look, I know my proposition here is audacious, but I believe in you, the people of Ontario, and the potential of this province with all of my heart.
[01:39:08] And I am asking you to take a chance on generational change because I believe that together we can build a better future for Ontario and leave a legacy that future generations will be proud to inherit.
[01:39:22] So if you want bold leadership, vote for the candidate taking the most risks.
[01:39:26] If you want vision, vote for the candidate putting forward the most ideas.
[01:39:30] And if you want to win, vote for the candidate doing the most to expand our current party's tent so that we can win against Ford.
[01:39:36] Thank you so much and let's own the future together.
[01:39:39] Okay, thank you Eric Lombardi, Stephanie Bowman, our final candidate, your closing statement.
[01:39:44] I want to thank our members for your commitment to our party and I want to thank all of those who have taken time out of their evenings to watch tonight's debate.
[01:39:54] We need more of that kind of engagement as we work on rebuilding our party to be ready for what's next.
[01:40:00] I also want to thank all the candidates here tonight for their commitment to our province.
[01:40:05] We might have different opinions on the best path forward,
[01:40:09] but I think we all agree that a stronger Ontario starts
[01:40:12] with changing the Premier in the Premier's office.
[01:40:16] J'espère que nous sommes d'accord que ce que on a besoin
[01:40:21] c'est a stronger foundation for our party and for our province.
[01:40:27] That means building a strong and resilient economy
[01:40:29] that works for everyone, that we can all contribute to and benefit from.
[01:40:33] It means making sure everybody has the opportunity to live their best life, to reach their full potential.
[01:40:40] And it means leadership that puts people first.
[01:40:44] That's the approach I've taken throughout my career.
[01:40:47] Bringing people together, making difficult decisions, and putting in action a plan that can be delivered upon to get real results.
[01:40:56] And it's the approach I will bring to our party and to our province if I'm elected leader.
[01:41:01] and looking at all the challenges that we've talked about tonight.
[01:41:06] We need all the people on this stage to help us win against the Conservatives in the next election.
[01:41:11] I hope they will all stand up and be a candidate in the next election.
[01:41:16] But first, we have to make sure that our party is ready.
[01:41:18] We have to make sure that our members are empowered,
[01:41:20] that we've got a strong foundation so that we can win.
[01:41:23] I'm ready to do that work, and I'm looking forward to connecting with more of you
[01:41:27] in advance of the vote on November 21st.
[01:41:30] Okay, thank you, Stephanie Bowman.
[01:41:31] Thank you to all of the candidates for joining us tonight.
[01:41:34] Thank you to everyone watching and to everyone who submitted questions.
[01:41:37] We did receive a lot of questions.
[01:41:39] Many of those submissions will be carried forward to future debates,
[01:41:43] and there's more to come in this leadership race.
[01:41:45] Candidates have until September 7th to convince Ontarians to join the party
[01:41:49] or renew their memberships.
[01:41:51] Members can vote for a new leader between November 9th and November 20th,
[01:41:55] with the results announced on November 21st.
[01:41:57] Thank you again for joining us, candidates, and thank you to everyone watching.
[01:42:27] Thank you.