Premier Doug Ford said he's "not worried" about a former adviser and newly-elected federal Conservative who slammed officials in his government as "liberal elites" during a victory speech.
Jamil Jivani ran for Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives in a byelection in Durham on Monday, securing a seat in the House of Commons with more than 57 per cent of the vote.
"It is the liberal elites, betraying the working people of this country betraying the middle class, betraying the working class," Jivani said in his speech on Monday night, going on to list those he viewed as "liberal elites."
"I'm also talking about the liberal elites who run big banks and big telecommunications companies driving up the cost of everything. I am also talking about the liberal elites who run the Ontario Ministry of Education in this province," he said.
Asked by The Trillium at an unrelated press conference on Friday whether he was worried about federal Conservatives railing against his ministers, Ford said he wasn't.
"I'm not worried about Jamil. I gave that young man an opportunity. He showed up — no one even knew who he was — came in my office — I gave him an incredible opportunity," said Ford at Milton Town Hall. "To be very frank, you go to root cause, he wouldn't even be where he is if I didn't give him that opportunity."
In 2019, Jivani was appointed as a special adviser to the premier, becoming the province's first "advocate for community opportunities." He was brought in to "engage people from all walks of life and help us tackle some serious problems," the premier said in a news release at the time.
By that time, Jivani had a law degree from Yale, had worked as a visiting professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and had written the book "Why Young Men: Rage, Race and the Crisis of Identity."
Jivani, who stood alongside Ford at some of the premier's COVID-19 press conferences, started to lash out at the education minister on social media over schools in Ontario being closed during the pandemic.
“Education is one of the most important government offices in Ontario. Yet it continues to be led by an incompetent minister, Stephen Lecce, who refuses to adequately acknowledge the harmful impact of his decisions on the most vulnerable children,” he said in a June 2022 post.
Jivani resigned from his adviser post in the summer of 2022.
On Friday, Ford wished Jivani well before taking another jab at the MP-elect.
"He should focus on maybe the carbon tax. Maybe he should come in, I'll give him a couple lessons on how to speak to ... his constituents," said Ford. "He should really focus on things that matter to people, saving people money, putting money back into their pockets, and you know, focus on the carbon tax. We're doing great for the people of Ontario. We're going to do great for his riding."
When asked by The Trillium on Tuesday about Jivani's recent comments, Minister Lecce seemed to dismiss them, saying he was a "minister focused on getting deals done," referring to contract negotiations and a tentative deal that was reached this week with the last of four teachers' unions.
Meanwhile, the premier downplayed the suggestion of tension between his government and Poilievre's team while in Milton.
"I have no tension between the federal Conservatives. We're called the Progressive Conservative Party, PC Party of Ontario, we're working for the people of Ontario. I'll work with anyone. I'll work with the Liberals, NDP, the Conservatives, whoever gets in power," said Ford, adding that he has a "great relationship" with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and with the federal Conservatives.
"I have no problem working with absolutely anyone as long as it's in the best interest of Ontario. When it's not in the best interest of Ontario, you're gonna hear me loud and clear," he added.
His comments follow the resignation of one of Ford's ministers, Parm Gill, who announced earlier this year that he'd be stepping away from provincial politics to run federally for Poilievre's team in Milton.
His departure means the premier will need to call a provincial byelection for the riding. The PCs have tapped Zee Hamid, a three-term Milton councillor who the Toronto Star reported has Liberal ties, to run for the party.
“Zee Hamid is a champion for Milton who will help us get it done by building Highway 413 and extending two-way, all-day GO train service along the Milton line,” Ford said in a party press release on March 3, also taking a dig at Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, who he claimed supported the carbon tax.
According to Elections Ontario filings, Zeeshan Hamid donated $3,508 to the Ontario Liberal Party, including to local riding associations in Milton and Mississauga, as well as to Steven Del Duca's leadership campaign, from 2014 to 2021. From 2014 to 2019, he donated $9,387.09 to the federal Liberal Party, including donations to the Milton riding association and to his own campaign for the Milton nomination ahead of the 2015 election, which he lost.
Also, Liberal MPs Adam van Koeverden and Omar Alghabra donated to his campaign for mayor in 2022, which he also lost.
van Koeverden, who represents Milton federally, said he was taken aback by Hamid's decision to run for the PCs.
"I've known Zee since longer than I've been involved in politics here, he's always been a good friend," he said on Friday outside the premier's press conference. "(I'm) frankly disappointed to see him sort of change his political stripes for an opportunity, it's something that I had never really anticipated, but I also know that Milton is a strong Liberal town."
Other provincial parties haven't yet announced their candidates for the Milton byelection, but Crombie has said she's considering running.
Standing outside Milton Town Hall on Friday before joining an International Women's Day march, Crombie said she hasn't yet made a decision but is "getting very close."
She said Hamid entering the race will not be a factor in whether or not she runs.
"It's not a consideration, I'm going to do the right thing for the Milton community and for myself," she told reporters. "And if it won't be me, it'll be the best candidate the Ontario Liberals will put forward."
She said it would be ideal to have a community or business leader from Milton run in the byelection and that she's been meeting with "a number of people who have stepped up."
-With files from Jessica Smith Cross
