Today marks a very significant day in Ontario politics.  After 15 years of power, Ontario Liberals will no longer be leading our province. Doug Ford and a new Progressive Conservative government will be assuming the reins of power. And as we look ahead there are two certainties. The first is that the new Ford government is certain to upset large groups of Ontarians. The second is that the Ontario Liberal Party has a great deal of rebuilding to do. And if the Liberal party wants to minimize the amount of time it spends in the political wilderness, it should ensure that the first certainty doesn't drive the second. Opposition to Doug Ford cannot become the centrepiece of Liberal rebuilding efforts. To succeed, the party needs to resist the temptation to become nothing more than the mouthpiece of every organization, interest group or popular movement that opposes the Ford agenda. This is easier said than done. The Liberals will probably be denied official party status in the legislature, are up to their ears in debt and are increasingly being forgotten by many political commentators. Hitching their wagon to every anti-Ford movement that comes along, regardless of the issue or position being taken, could become quite an attractive option. Here's my advice to the Liberals: Don't do it! Be an effective opposition. Work with those whose views align with yours in opposing the government. But don't twist yourself into pretzels to try to reflect the position of everybody who is mad as heck at the PC government, regardless of their reasons.  Don't adopt as the official party slogan, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Why shouldn't they? First, because of the realities of Ontario politics. Sure, the Liberals need to attract NDP voters, but that will not be enough. The clearest path to victory for the Liberals is to make inroads with swing voters who voted PC in pursuit of change. You can be certain that doesn't include many of those leading the charge against the new government. This leads to the issue of authenticity.  Voters sense when a party simply opposes for the sake of opposing and stands for nothing. To win back voters, Liberals need to present a positive and coherent vision for the future. Merely parroting whatever group the PCs have managed to anger that day doesn't achieve that purpose. The Liberal party should focus on one of the few silver linings in the pitch-black cloud hovering over them – as a party they are beholden to no one.  As it ponders the role that a centrist party can play in a polarized political climate, it can afford to take some chances and rethink past positions without fearing retribution from key interest groups that have offered support in the past. In fact, it may be time for the Ontario Liberal Party to build some new friendships and re-evaluate some old ones. Let me give you just a few examples. Ontario Liberals have always prided themselves on a strong commitment to social justice and environmental sustainability.  There has always been an underlying belief, however, that these objectives are often incompatible with the priorities of small business or the concerns of rural Ontario. Why accept this reality?  What if the party actually spent some time exploring the needs of small and medium sized enterprises which play such a key role in our economy.  What if they put significant energy into understanding how to better support rural Ontario?  Would it be easy? No, but with the luxury of time and a bit of blank slate, there is potential to make some progress.  And even if it didn't result in a huge shift in votes, building some bridges would send a powerful message to other voters that Ontario's Liberals are about listening and consensus building. And what of re-evaluating some traditional friendships?  Although it is important for Ontario's Liberals to continue supporting organized labour, have they not grown too close to certain unions over the past 15 years?  How much of their policy-making has been hampered by concerns about the reaction of teachers' unions or the building trades? What freedom the Ontario Liberals now have.  They can think about the future of education in the most creative way possible without fearing the reaction of friends in the teacher unions.  They can consider how to best protect workers in our rapidly changing modern economy without being afraid of stepping on the toes of key union leaders — just two examples where a fresh start might be in order. The Ontario Liberals were dealt a harsh blow on June 7 but other parties have experienced similar defeats and managed a successful comeback. Although it will be important for the Liberals to hold the new government's feet to the fire, creating a vision for the province that is modern, consistent and broad in its appeal will be even more important. John Milloy is a former MPP and Ontario Liberal cabinet minister currently serving as the Director of the Centre for Public Ethics and assistant professor of public ethics at Martin Luther University College, and the inaugural practitioner in residence in Wilfrid Laurier University's Political Science department. He is also a lecturer in the University of Waterloo's Master of Public Service Program.  John can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @John_Milloy.