It's the third day back at Queen's Park after a three-month break and for the third day in a row, official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles has asked about developers attending Premier Doug Ford's daughter's wedding and stag party.
Ford didn't really answer Stiles' previous two attempts, saying its a family matter and that he knows the lines between politics and personal life.
The premier wasn't at Queen's Park on Thursday, so Government House Leader Paul Calandra answered for him. Even when the premier is in the pink palace, Calandra regularly steps in to answer questions directed at Ford.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles: My question is to the premier. This morning, I filed a complaint with the integrity commissioner requesting an investigation into the premier’s actions surrounding their family fundraiser and his cozy relationship with developers.
Will the premier fully cooperate with this investigation?
Government House Leader Paul Calandra: It has been a rather — I’ll be charitable and say an unimpressive start for the leader of the opposition. We have some real challenges that this province is facing. The drive-by smear of the leader of the opposition — tried this once, the integrity commissioner has said that there was no issue with it. The premier has answered the question, so let’s try another smear tactic: Let’s try bringing the family into it.
What we are going to do instead is continue to focus on the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario: building this province up. While they continue to talk the province down and the achievements that we’re seeing in the province of Ontario, we’re going to do just the opposite: build better roads, build better schools, build better colleges and universities, give our workers more opportunity to succeed in the province of Ontario. Thousands of jobs are being created, billions of dollars in economic activity coming right here to the province of Ontario. We’ll focus on that; she can focus on the drive-by smear which accomplishes nothing for the people of the province of Ontario.
Interjections
NDP Leader Marit Stiles: You give yourself a round of applause, but how are Ontarians supposed to trust that this government — this government — has their interest at heart with this cloud of suspicion hanging over them about this government and who has access to them? Ontarians deserve a government they can trust.
Are there any other events or parties of this nature that the premier or his staff have organized recently that may be worth also asking the integrity commissioner to investigate?
Government House Leader Paul Calandra: Even in her own letter to the integrity commissioner she ends it by saying, of course, “in my opinion” — in her opinion. No facts, no real evidence, Mr. Speaker, just the member’s opinion.
Here is the opinion of the people of the province of Ontario. In June they cast their ballot and the opinion of the people of the province of Ontario was that the PC government was doing the right thing for the people of Ontario and returned us in larger numbers for the first time in decades and reduced the opposition. So what we’re going to continue to do is focus on the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario.
Just this morning I received a notice from a constituent of mine who was visibly upset at the fact that her gas bill — a $300 gas bill — includes a carbon tax of $47. She says in her email, “How can I continue to afford to pay the cost of living when a $47 tax is added to my bill. What am I supposed to do?” she said. “I can’t turn off my furnace, I can’t afford to put solar panels on my roof.” She says, “Continue to do what you’ve got to do to fight carbon taxes to make life more affordable for the people of Ontario” and that’s what we’ll do.
You can watch all of question period here.
