安省进步保守党领导人竞选: Doug Ford获胜
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- 2003-04-13
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This combination of file photos show ex-Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown, left, and PC MPP Randy Hillier, right. "Patrick Brown has been engaged in dirty and crooked politics for too long in this province and people have now found some substantial, significant evidence,” Hillier alleged outside the legislative chamber Tuesday. (Aaron Vincent Elkaim and Richard Lautens / The Canadian Press/Toronto Star file photos)
By Rob Ferguson Queen's Park Bureau
Robert Benzie Queen's Park Bureau Chief
Tues., Feb. 20, 2018
The civil war in the Progressive Conservative party took a new twist Tuesday as MPP Randy Hillier called for an investigation of ousted leader — and new leadership candidate — Patrick Brown.
Hillier, who is supporting former MPP Christine Elliott in the March 10 race to lead the PCs in the June provincial election, said he will file a complaint Monday afternoon with Ontario’s integrity commissioner.
There are questions about Brown’s personal finances, bogus party memberships, internal party finances and candidate nomination meetings where ballot boxes are alleged to have been stuffed during Brown’s term as leader, beginning in May 2015, Hillier told reporters as the Legislature returned from its winter break.
“Patrick Brown has been engaged in dirty and crooked politics for too long in this province and people have now found some substantial, significant evidence,” Hillier alleged outside the legislative chamber, where he is not protected by parliamentary privilege.
“Mr. Patrick Brown has violated the Members Integrity Act of Ontario. He will have to answer for that complaint,” Hillier added.
“I’ve known Patrick Brown to lie just about every time he opens his mouth.
“We’re bringing it to the proper agencies to have it fully investigated and that due process is completed.”
In one example, Hillier cited a story from the Globe and Mail stating that Brown was once in negotiations to sell a stake in Hooligans, a Barrie restaurant and sports bar of which he owns 9.9 per cent, and Aeroplan miles for $375,000 to a man later acclaimed as the PC candidate in Brampton North.
Brown, who quit as leader Jan. 25 over allegations in a CTV News report of sexual misconduct he denies, said the deal was never consummated and warned in a Facebook post Monday he is being targeted by “a select group of individuals who feel entitled to destroy what we’ve built together these past three years.”
“I want you to know that, over the next weeks, you may hear or see stories questioning my integrity, character and my leadership of our Party,” added Brown, who filed his nomination papers for the leadership on Friday and has threatened to sue CTV.
“What you and every member should know is that no leader in any political party is involved in the collection of membership fees,” he said of Hillier’s allegations that $700,000 from party memberships is “missing.”
“These accusations are noise and nonsense intended to distract us from the goal of moving forward together,” Brown stated.
“This small group of insiders will stop at nothing in their attempts to derail us.”
Hillier said questions about how the party was being run, including nominations, have been increasingly asked of Brown and his senior staff in recent months.
“I believe that he is unsuited to be a member of the PC caucus,” Hillier said. “He is not fit to be a leader of the PC party. He is not fit to be the premier of this province. And I believe he is not fit to serve in this legislature.”
In the first question period of the legislature since December, interim PC leader Vic Fedeli took Premier Kathleen Wynne to task about job losses last month, but his efforts were overshadowed by the conflict in his own party.
Fedeli removed Brown from the PC caucus Friday morning, forcing him to sit as an independent MPP and signalled that Brown should not be allowed to run as a PC candidate in the June 7 election.
“I wrote to the party president and indicated that Mr. Brown did not have my confidence to be the party candidate in Barrie,” Fedeli told a news conference, declining to discuss the reasons for that move.
“Now that he’s a (leadership) candidate, it’s very difficult to speak about him and not the other candidates. That was done before he filed nomination papers for the leadership.”
NDP Leader Andrea Howarth called the struggling PCs “a party going backwards” with Fedeli himself acknowledging the party “is full of rot.”
“Whether it’s a Ford, a Mulroney or the same old Brown, their platform calls for $6 billion in cuts … They’re in no shape to govern themselves, let alone this province,” Horwath said.
“It’s time for something completely different,” she said, touting her New Democrats as an alternative to the Tories and Liberals, who have been in power for almost 15 years.
But Horwath said she has not yet decided the fate of her chief of staff and campaign director, Michael Balagus, who was forced to take a temporary leave of absence over allegations he did not act on sexual harassment allegations against a cabinet minister while he was chief of staff for two NDP premiers in Manitoba.
The Tories’ troubles are a reminder that “elections matter,” said Liberal MPP Deb Matthews, co-chair of the Liberal re-election campaign, which is highlighting Wynne’s promise to raise the minimum wage to $15 next year.
“We have an agenda that really does resonate with the people of the province. We’re focused on who we’re fighting for,” Matthews said, dismissing polls that show the Liberals trailing the Tories.
“We’ll worry about the poll on Election Day,” she said.
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