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Ontario Liberal Leadership Hopefuls Talk Taxes, Affordability and Doug Ford in Final Debate
Candidates pitched tax and health-care plans while seeking to present themselves as an alternative to Doug Ford, with voting set to begin soon.
On August 10, 2026, Ontario Liberal Party leadership hopefuls Lee Fairclough, Eric Lombardi, Navdeep Bains, Stephanie Bowman, and Dylan Marando held their final debate in Brampton, Ont., positioning themselves as an antidote to Premier Doug Ford.
Rebuilding the third-place party from the ground up, the contenders aimed to contrast their platforms against the "folksy yet bombastic" demeanor of Ford as they seek to revitalize Liberal standing.
While the candidates agreed on economic and health-care reforms, they diverged on tax policy; Bowman and Bains pledged to avoid tax hikes, while Fairclough and Marando proposed specific reforms.
Framing themselves as serious politicians at a critical time, Bains, Bowman, Fairclough, and Marando contrasted their approach with the administration's style to distinguish their candidacy.
Party members will soon cast their votes to determine the new Ontario Liberal Party leader, who faces the task of revitalizing the party's standing in the province.