TORONTO -- Ontario Liberals will choose their next leader -- and the premier of the province -- at a convention to be held in Toronto in January.

So far, the race is more interesting for who's not running with big names such as Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and Energy Minister Chris Bentley dropping out before it really began.

The party's convention will take place at Ryerson's Mattamy Athletic Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens on the weekend of Jan. 25, the same place where a come-from-behind Dalton McGuinty won the leadership in 1996, it was announced Sunday.

Leadership candidates must file their forms by Nov. 23 along with at least 250 signatures of Liberal Party members and an entry fee of $50,000.

Those believed interested in a leadership bid include former Liberal cabinet ministers Sandra Pupatello, Gerard Kennedy and John Wilkinson, as well as Health Minister Deb Matthews and Municipal Affairs Minister Kathleen Wynne.

Many current cabinet ministers are still pondering a run, or have yet to publicly rule themselves out.

According to a statement released by Ontario Liberal Party vice-president Christine McMillan, leadership candidates cannot spend more than $500,000 and will not be allowed to accumulate a debt of more than $100,000 at any given time.

One-quarter of the money raised by leadership candidates must be turned over to the party.
McGuinty resigned two weeks ago after 16 years as leader of his party.

The premier prorogued the legislature at the same time, drawing the wrath of opposition MPPs who claimed he was hiding his party from the fallout of a political scandal involving cancelled gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville.

McGuinty has told reporters that the house had become corrosive and unproductive because the opposition parties were more interested in scoring political points than getting work done.

Liberals have suggested the new leader will bring back the legislature with a throne speech and budget.

After that, it's widely speculated that the new premier will seek a fresh mandate and call a spring election.