Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, 1982
| Date | February 22, 1982 |
|---|---|
| Convention | Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, Ontario |
| Resigning leader | David Peterson |
| Won by | Stuart Smith |
| Ballots | 2 |
| Candidates | 5 |
Ontario Liberal Party leadership conventions
The Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, 1982, was held on February 22, 1982 to replace Stuart Smith who stepped down as leader after the 1981 provincial election. Smith resigned his seat a month before the convention to accept a federal appointment. David Peterson, who had lost against Smith in 1978, was the early front-runner and he won the election on the second ballot with 55% of the vote. Peterson went on to become Premier in 1985, leading the Liberals to power after 42 years of Conservative rule.
Stuart Smith had been leader since 1976. He led the party through two elections. Although he was leader of the opposition in a minority government after the 1977 election, the Liberals failed to make gains in the 1981 election when the Tories regained their majority status. Smith announced his decision to resign on September 5, 1981. Speculation about possible successors included Jim Breithaupt, David Peterson and Patrick Reid. The race quickly heated up when five days later, John Sweeney a Kitchener MPP announced his intention to seek the party leadership. Fellow MPP Jim Breithaupt announced his candidacy a day later.
Sweeney, a former teacher who was elected in 1975, served as the party's education critic. Sweeney held strong views on abortion and had sponsored a private member's bill in 1978 to reduce the number of abortions performed in the province. He was also a member of the Council of Mind Abuse, a group formed to fight mind-indoctrination techniques by cults. Fellow member Sean Conway said that Sweeney would appeal to the "Catholic conservative constituency within the Liberal party." Sweeney disagreed saying that he was actually a middle of the road politician. He said, "Because I have some firm moral positions doesn't mean I am to the right." He said that if elected leader he would seek to tighten the restrictions on abortion performed in the province.
Breithaupt, a lawyer who was elected in 1967, was the party's justice critic. He was portrayed by the media as a rational politician who favoured reason over passion. He said, "I've not seen that as a fault... it is just the way I am. I think I can do the job when it has to be done." He said that he would focus on a reorganization of the party's riding associations and a campaign to pay off the party's election debt.
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