QP Briefing has learned that Navdeep Bains is being courted to enter the race to lead the Ontario Liberals.
Sources close to Bains and the party say he's been making calls to key Liberal figures, who are encouraging him to run. Bains was making the rounds at the federal Liberal convention this past weekend in Montreal.
One source, who asked not to be identified to speak candidly, said "excitement is building" on Bains potentially entering the race.
Bains, who's currently chief corporate affairs officer at Rogers Communications, is widely known for his tenure in Ottawa as industry minister under former prime minister Justin Trudeau. During that time, he was one of the longest-serving ministers in the portfolio and played a central role in shaping Canada’s innovation and skills agenda.
Since leaving federal politics, Bains has held senior roles in the private sector, including a stint as Vice-Chair of Global Investment Banking at CIBC, where he focused on innovation, sustainability, and industrial strategy. Earlier in his career, he worked in accounting and finance at Ford Motor Company of Canada.
He has also maintained close ties to academia, serving as a visiting professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and lecturing at the University of Waterloo’s Master of Public Service program.
Bains holds an MBA from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Commerce from York University, along with a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
More to come...