Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls the allegations levelled against his party by ousted MPP Randy Hillier “absolutely ridiculous,” telling legislature on Tuesday that his high-level staffers and advisors are “totally innocent.”
Hillier released an open letter on Monday, days after Ford permanently ejected the Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP from the Progressive Conservative caucus.
In the letter, Hillier makes a number of unverified claims including “possible illegal and unregistered lobbying by close friends and advisors employed by Premier Ford.”
Hillier did not provide evidence to back up his claims nor did he respond to repeated requests for further comment from CTV News Toronto.
Ford defended himself and his government during question period on Tuesday, saying “there’s absolutely no truth to any of the allegations.”
“No one has to pay to have access to Doug Ford. They just call me on my cellphone,” Ford said.
The NDP has referred Hillier’s letter to the Ontario Provincial Police and has called for an official investigation – something that the Green Party also supports.
“I think we need to verify those allegations are valid and true, that’s why an investigation would be appropriate,” Green Party leader Mike Schreiner told reporters. “That’s why I think the Premier’s Office should welcome an investigation.”
Meanwhile, the Liberal caucus says it is drafting a letter to the integrity commissioner requesting an official investigation into whether any ethics or lobbying rules were broken.
The commissioner enforces the Lobbyists Registration Act which governs any stakeholder looking to meet with ministries and requires lobbyists to register which company they work for, who they’re looking to engage with, and what they’re hoping to accomplish.
While Hillier mentions Ford’s chief of staff Dean French in the letter, he did not directly allege that French was party to any illegal activity. A spokesperson for the Premier’s office said the carefully worded letter doesn’t necessarily open Hillier up to a defamation lawsuit.
However, the NDP took advantage of protections afforded to MPPs under parliamentary privilege to repeatedly raise the issue.
“Can the Premier tell us if he or his chief of staff, Dean French, were lobbied by individuals not registered to lobby in Ontario?” NDP leader Andrea Horwath asked Ford during question period.
Ford responded by daring to Horwath to repeat the same sentence outside the legislature, where privilege doesn’t apply.
“The leader of the opposition has thrown out names, serious accusations. Rather than sitting here cowardly in this chamber, why doesn’t she go outside and name the names? Because she knows that she’ll be sued,” Ford said.
Ford issued the challenge a second time after NDP MPP Taras Natyshak called him a “tough guy.”
“He knows he doesn’t have a good enough lawyer to walk outside those doors. He walks around as a tough guy, but he’s nothing but a coward,” Ford said.
