Mike Schreiner has declined an offer to run as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and will remain the leader of the Ontario Green Party. On Feb. 21, Schreiner announced his decision in a statement on Twitter, expressing his commitment to remain focused on climate action. He was the target of the Draftmike.ca campaign, in which a group of Ontario Liberals wrote an open letter urging him to run for the Liberal leadership.
The letter was signed by 40 Liberals, including former Deputy Premier Deb Matthews, and former Liberal cabinet ministers Greg Sorbara, Liz Sandals, and John Milloy. It was also signed by former candidates and supporters, who praised Schreiner’s clarity of purpose and his ability to connect and motivate young people and activists.
Schreiner said he heard from thousands of people who were unhappy with Premier Doug Ford’s policies on climate action, affordable housing, and those living in poverty. The Liberals have had no permanent leader since June 2022, and an annual general meeting is scheduled for March 3–5 in Hamilton, Ontario, to vote on rules for a leadership race.