Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, 1973
| Date | October 27-28, 1973 |
|---|---|
| Convention |
Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario |
| Resigning leader | Robert Nixon |
| Won by | Robert Nixon |
| Ballots | 3 |
| Candidates | 4 (6) |
Ontario Liberal Party leadership conventions
The Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, 1973, was held on October 27-28, 1973 to replace Robert Nixon who had announced his retirement in 1972. After a change of heart he reversed his decision to retire and entered the leadership race to retain his position. He defeated Norman Cafik on the third ballot by 317 votes.
On February 12, 1972, at a party annual meeting, Robert Nixon announced that he was resigning as party leader. Initially five names were presented as possible leadership contenders. Murray Gaunt, a farmer; Donald Deacon, MPP and investment dealer; James Bullbrook, lawyer; Vern Singer, MPP and lawyer; and Phil Givens, former mayor of Toronto. Nixon agreed to stay on as party leader until a leadership convention was held.
Deacon was the first to announce his candidacy on May 15, 1973. He said he would reduce the sales tax to 5% and make up the revenue by taxing services that the wealthy use. He also said that he would work on proposals for a guaranteed annual income. He was endorsed by Margaret Campbell, Leonard Braithwaite and federal MP Barney Danson.
On August 15, 1973, Nixon announced that he was reversing his earlier decision and would be a candidate in the October convention. Changes for the better in Liberal fortunes had figured into his decision.
Other contenders to enter the race were Ted Culp, a teacher from Toronto (September 5), MPP Eddie Sargent (September 11), Michael Houlton, a promoter (October 1), and MP Norman Cafik (October 3). Culp later quit the race on October 18. Culp, who said he ran to highlight issues such as wage and price controls and school curricula found his efforts stymied by the other candidates. He said, "Unfortunately, my purpose was largely obscured by the strange tactics of Deacon and Sargent, who seem to be preoccupied with knifing Bob Nixon in the back. Their performance fully explains why they are still backbenchers."
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