MP Erskine-Smith, runner-up in Ontario Liberal leadership race, won’t seek federal re-election in Beaches-East York

By ALAN SHACKLETON

After finishing a close second in the race to become the new leader of the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) last Saturday, Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith is evaluating his future political plans.

And that future will not include him continuing on as the MP for Beaches-East York once the next federal election is called.

“Being the MP for Beaches-East York is the best job that I will ever have, as it’s given me the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of so many people, to show that politics can be done differently, and to serve my home community,” Erskine-Smith told Beach Metro Community News in a statement on Thursday, Dec. 7.

“I will be forever thankful to everyone who put their trust in me and helped to make change with me. All of that being true, I also love my family more than anything and I plan to stay closer to home after this final parliamentary session,” he said.

“It will be time for someone else to step up and serve our community after the next federal election. I’m not sure what the future holds for me beyond that, and I will be looking for new opportunities to make a difference.”

Erskine-Smith was the second-place finisher to Bonnie Crombie, who was named OLP leader at the party’s gathering on Saturday, Dec. 2 in Toronto.

Four candidates were running to become the leader of the party and Crombie, the current Mayor of Mississauga and a former Liberal MP, won on the third ballot. Votes were cast in a ranked ballot election on Saturday, Nov. 25, in which members from each provincial riding ranked their choices one through four. The results were announced on Dec. 2.

Other candidates seeking the OLP leadership were Yasir Naqvi, MP for Ottawa Centre, and Ted Hsu, MPP for Kingston and the Islands. Hsu was eliminated after the first round of voting and Naqvi in the second. The third and final ballot saw Crombie win with 6,911 points (or votes based on the ranked ballots) for 53.4 per cent share, with Erskine-Smith second with 6,029 points for a 46.6 per cent share.

Erskine-Smith had campaigned for the OLP leadership on a plank of progressive policies and doing politics differently than in the past. He told Beach Metro Community News he was proud of the way that campaign was run and the impact it had across the province.

“It was tough to lose a close one, but I’m proud of the principled and progressive campaign we ran and thankful for our amazing team and the support of so many here in our east end and across the province,” he said. “I’m especially thankful for my family’s support through all of the ups and downs of the last year.”

First elected as the Beaches-East York MP in 2015, Erskine-Smith was re-elected as the riding’s MP in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Erskine-Smith’s win in 2015 took the seat away from the NDP who held it since 2011. Prior to that, Maria Minna had been the Liberal MP for Beaches-East York from 1993 to 2011.

In the coming weeks, Erskine-Smith said he is looking forward to spending more time in the community over the holiday season.

“In the near future, I’ll continue to serve our community in Parliament and look forward to spending more time here in our east end and with my family,” he said. “I’ll be volunteering for local holiday hamper programs in the coming weeks, for example, and hope to see many people at our levee in the new year.”