TORONTO — Former federal cabinet minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith says the Ontario Liberal Party should consider restricting participation in internal elections to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, mirroring rules used by the federal Liberal Party.Erskine-Smith made the comments when asked whether he still has confidence in the Ontario Liberal Party's handling of internal elections following the recent dispute over the Scarborough Southwest nomination contest."Do you still have faith in the OLP's handling of internal elections?" Erskine-Smith was asked. "I mean, there is a leadership race. Your name is not in the hat yet. There are a few names, though. Do you have faith in the process?""I think it would be a good idea if the Ontario Liberal Party followed the federal party and limited voting to citizens and permanent residents," Erskine-Smith replied..The comments come weeks after an internal arbitration panel dismissed Erskine-Smith's appeal of the Scarborough Southwest nomination race, which was won by Ahsanul Hafiz by 19 votes. The panel concluded there were no irregularities that affected the outcome of the vote and found that party rules had been followed.Under current Ontario Liberal Party rules, party members as young as 14 are eligible to vote in nomination contests. The arbitration decision noted that individuals who are not eligible to vote in provincial elections may nevertheless be eligible to hold party memberships and participate in nomination races.The federal Liberal Party requires leadership voters to be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or individuals recognized under the Indian Act.Erskine-Smith did not directly answer whether he has confidence in the Ontario Liberal Party's current internal election processes. Instead, he pointed to what he believes should be a change in the party's voting eligibility rules.The Ontario Liberal Party is expected to hold a leadership race following the resignation of former leader Bonnie Crombie after the 2025 provincial election. Erskine-Smith has been widely discussed as a potential candidate but has not formally announced whether he intends to seek the leadership.
