What comes next?

Our last local event as an MP will be tomorrow's Canada Day. Still working out next steps after that.

After over a decade of service, it’s an odd feeling to have only a week left in this role.

Thanks to everyone who joined our farewell event, and to the many others who have written personally. I do plan to respond to every one of you, it’ll just take some time!

As I shared in the Beach Metro, July 7 will be my final day in office. My constituency team remains available to help until a by-election is called, hopefully later this summer, and I’ll continue to support them as needed.

You may have seen that I’ve ruled out running in the provincial Liberal leadership. We’ve still got some final fundraising to close out a small exploratory campaign debt (you can contribute here or by e-transfer to info@teamnate.ca).

Beyond that, I’m open to ideas on what should come next.

Canada Day - walk with us in the 70th East York Canada Day Parade

If you’re free tomorrow morning, you should join us for my last East York Canada Day parade as your MP. The parade kicks off at 10:30 am, so make sure to join us at Dieppe Park around 10 am.

And yes, I’ll be in my polyester red suit which has also capably served for a decade.

There’s always lots going on in our community on Canada Day, and my plan is to head over to the Woodbine Legion around 1 pm for my last act as your Member of Parliament: as an annual victim to the dunk tank.

We’re lucky to live in Canada and I’ve been lucky to serve in our national parliament.

Proud to be Canadian

Help select your next Liberal candidate here in Beaches-East York

The Prime Minister has told me there’ll be a local nomination to select our next local Liberal candidate here, and a number of contestants have already been hard at work.

I’ve always said that an open, fair, and competitive nomination is the best way forward. And I would underline the word fair after my own recent experience but, frankly, I trust in our federal party’s people and more sensible rules (at the federal level, participation is rightly limited to citizens and permanent residents).

Click here to become a member (it’s free) and vote for our next local Liberal candidate.

There are a number of great people running.

As I told supporters last week, I’ll be casting my vote for Tanveer Shahnawaz.

Tanveer was born and raised in East York, growing up in Crescent Town where he still lives and actively volunteers his time. And while he’s not yet 30, he’s been a huge part of our community and political team over the last decade. He ran my constituency office for years, he was an incredible help in the pandemic, and he was a special advisor to me in my brief but productive time as Minister of Housing.

He’ll be a strong voice for our community. He has the experience to be effective. And I know that he’ll work hard for us.

What comes next for me?

This is the question I get all the time now and the honest answer is that I’m not sure.

I still believe that Ontario deserves much better than the Ford government. That we deserve smart, fair, and honest leadership. That we need serious change in the Ontario Liberal Party and at Queen’s Park.

The chaotic island airport expansion move without any public plan (I’d call it back of the napkin, but there is no napkin) is just the most recent example that the Ford government is out of touch, incompetent, and on its last legs.

Ford came into power on a promise of being for the people. When he leaves office, he will be remembered as acting for his friends.

We need to clean up our politics. That means change at Queen’s Park, for sure. If we are serious, it also means change in the Ontario Liberal Party. After the experience in Scarborough Southwest, followed by no apparent reflection about the need to change, it will be for someone else to take that challenge on directly.

We have a small amount of fundraising left to clear all debt from the exploratory campaign period (you can donate here or by e-transfer to info@teamnate.ca).

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our team. No question the hardest part of this decision is knowing what an incredible team we have all across Ontario.

I’ll continue to support good people running for office where I can, and to encourage young people to get involved in shaping our politics. You can always reach me at nathanielerskine@gmail.com if I can ever be of any help.

Many of you wrote to me over these last two months to encourage me to consider municipal office. It’s not lost on me that our city needs help, and that it would give me the chance to be close to home while still serving our community.

It’s also not a path I had really considered before, and I could use some time to recharge before I jump back into the political fray. So I’m not rushing anything.

I’ll take the next few weeks to think about the best way to contribute. It could mean municipal office. It could mean a mix of my own law practice together with pro bono work and community volunteering. It could mean a relaunch of the Uncommons podcast and more regular (and even more honest?) commentary, which I’d like to continue if there’s an audience for it. It could mean something else entirely.

For now, I’m going to enjoy the summer, spend time with family, and coach baseball.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback.

And please do reach out if I can ever be of any help.