TORONTO — Conservative MP Matt Strauss has joined the Ontario Liberal Party to support Eric Lombardi in the party’s leadership contest, arguing Lombardi represents the “actual liberalism” he believes Canadian politics needs.Strauss, the federal Conservative member for Kitchener South—Hespeler, announced September 2 that he had taken out an Ontario Liberal membership specifically so he could vote for Lombardi.“Today, I joined the Ontario Liberal Party in order to vote for Eric Lombardi,” Strauss wrote on X.Strauss said his decision should not be interpreted as a change in his federal political allegiance. Instead, he said his involvement in politics has always been about advancing what he described as “actual liberalism” and expanding individual freedoms.“My involvement in politics has always been about advancing actual liberalism: expanding human freedoms. Free speech, free trade, free choice,” Strauss wrote.Strauss criticized the federal Liberals, particularly under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, arguing the party had moved away from those principles toward what he called “leftist control.” He acknowledged that he and Lombardi disagree on some policy issues, particularly government spending, but described Lombardi as “a true liberal.”.The finance and technology entrepreneur is the only one of the five Ontario Liberal leadership candidates without previous elected office or government policy experience. He has instead built a career in finance, consulting, technology, and housing advocacy.The Ontario Liberal Party says Lombardi founded More Neighbours Toronto in 2021, chaired Build Toronto, and served on the party’s housing panel.Strauss also criticized Lombardi’s rival Navdeep Bains, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister. Ontario needs “a proper Liberal option,” Strauss wrote, rather than what he called “a content-free ex-Trudeau cabinet minister.”Strauss’s decision has raised questions about whether he can maintain an Ontario Liberal membership while sitting as a federal Conservative. Ontario Liberal membership rules prohibit members from simultaneously belonging to another provincial political party.The rule does not necessarily prevent Strauss from joining the Ontario Liberals simply because he is a federal Conservative. The issue would be whether he also belongs to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario..An Ontario Liberal regional vice-president told iPolitics that members agree to the restriction when they sign up. “Per the membership eligibility that a person agrees to when they sign up, they cannot be a member of another provincial party and a member of the OLP,” the official said. The official then suggested Strauss either preferred being an Ontario Liberal to being an Ontario PC or “didn’t read the fine print” when he joined.Strauss has encouraged others who share his view of liberalism to join the Ontario Liberal Party and support Lombardi.The endorsement has also drawn criticism from within Conservative circles.Jenni Byrne, who managed the federal Conservatives’ 2025 national election campaign, criticized Strauss’s decision. "We can have disagreements about issues, but the fact is a conservative is a conservative. Not a liberal,” Byrne wrote on X. “I like Matt, I strongly disagree with this.”Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman reposted Byrne’s comments..Strauss’s decision is particularly notable given his previous relationship with the Ontario Liberals. In 2021, while Strauss was serving as acting medical officer of health for Haldimand-Norfolk, Ontario Liberals called for the province to veto his appointment because of his opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns.Liberal health critic John Fraser accused Strauss of opposing what he described as “life-saving public health measures.” The Haldimand-Norfolk Board of Health had appointed Strauss unanimously. Strauss had publicly argued that lockdowns were ineffective at preventing COVID-19 deaths.Five years later, Strauss has joined the provincial party that previously opposed his appointment to the public-health position.The Ontario Liberal leadership vote is scheduled for November 21, with online voting running from November 9 to November 20.
