Two days after a politically deleterious 68 per cent approval from party faithful, Ontario New Democrat Leader Marit Stiles parted ways with her top two staffers in what some say could be the start of an office purge.
The departure of Stiles’ chief of staff Greg Denton and principal secretary,聽Stephanie Nakitsas, both of whom have extensive political experience, was announced Monday afternoon. Jennifer Hassum, executive director of the Broadbent Institute and long-time party strategist, steps into the breach.
“Now more than ever, New Democrats must mount a strong opposition to the damaging policies of Doug Ford, and push forward a plan that delivers jobs, homes, health care and hope for Ontario,” Stiles said, in a news release that announced the changes Monday afternoon.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Leading up to the annual meeting, held in Niagara Falls, NDP insiders estimated Stiles would sail through her mandatory review聽鈥 on whether to hold a new leadership contest聽鈥 with a 75 per cent approval. But after the votes were tallied on Saturday, a sombre Stiles stood on stage with her caucus and promised change.听听
“We cannot run the same election campaign that we ran last time,” she said. “And I said it and I meant it 鈥 that we need to make change in this party if we鈥檙e going to be able to defeat Doug Ford in the next election and we will do that.鈥
Stiles’ disappointing results came one week after Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie resigned after a 57 per cent approval in her leadership review.聽
An NDP insider, who spoke confidentially to discuss party deliberations, said Stiles’ results were clearly not a vote of confidence.聽
“It was more of a wake-up call,” the insider said. “They were saying you need to clear the deck and start over because you’re only temporarily in this position.”
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Moira Welsh is聽a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics
for the Star. Follow her on X: @moirawelsh.
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