Ontario Liberal leadership candidates leery of Mark Carney’s airport plan - Toronto Star

The federal government's plan to privatize operations at Pearson International and three more major airports won't fly unless passengers are protected from fee gouging, candidates for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal party warn.

From left, Lee Fairclough, Eric Lombardi, Navdeep Bains, Stephanie Bowman and Dylan Marando take part in an Ontario Liberal leadership debate in Brampton on Aug. 10, 2026.

The federal government’s plan to privatize operations at Pearson International and three more major airports won’t fly unless passengers are protected from fee gouging, candidates for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal party warn.

They join labour unions, opposition parties and some other Liberals in expressing concerns about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s move announced earlier this week, prompting Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon to pledge the government will use contracts to prevent “unjustified price increases.”

“The focus must remain on keeping reasonable fees for passengers while maintaining safe, high-calibre airports and air travel for Canadians,” MPP Stephanie Bowman (Don Valley West), one of five candidates in the provincial party’s Nov. 21 leadership race, said Thursday.

Carney unveiled the plan at his investment summit in Toronto on Tuesday, saying Ottawa can raise billions by selling “long-term concessions” to operate the airports in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver to fund infrastructure, including much-needed upgrades at regional airports.

His idea has been applauded by Premier Doug Ford, who called it “fabulous” and said he’s “100 per cent confident that we’re going to have more effective, more efficient airports at hopefully lower cost.”

But most leadership candidates aren’t so sure.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” said MPP Lee Fairclough (Etobicoke-Lakeshore). “Workers, travellers, communities and taxpayers need a lot more information before they can be assured that they are the winners here.”

Former federal industry minister Navdeep Bains, the fundraising leader in the leadership contest, acknowledged economic pressures in the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump require “creative thinking.”

“The details will matter,” he added in a statement to the Star. “Ontario families are already stretched and small businesses are under significant pressure. Any new models must put affordability first.”

Even if contracts restrain airport improvement fees — now $40 per passenger at Pearson — there are other ways private investors who win concessions to take over airports could increase their profits, such as hikes in parking fees and rents paid by restaurants and shops, experts have cautioned.

Another leadership candidate, financial technology engineer Eric Lombardi, said he is “skeptical” of the privatization plan.

“Ontarians have seen this move before with Highway 407. You can monetize public infrastructure once, but the consequences of a bad deal can last generations,” he added.

“Private capital can be enormously useful, but selling decades of operating rights over strategic monopoly infrastructure should come with a very high burden of proof.”

A fifth candidate, former policy adviser Dylan Marando, said any private investors in the airports must be Canadian and existing jobs protected.

“Any approved investment plan must demonstrate that it will improve the affordability, reliability, and passenger experience of air travel,” Marando said.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said he trusts Carney’s instincts to “weather the trade storm.”

“The prime minister has a good track record in terms of understanding risk,” Fraser said. “The greater risk is to do nothing.”

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Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1.