Tories, NDP clash over alleged ‘racist’ heckle
TORONTO — The premier and the finance minister are accusing an NDP MPP of mimicking a Progressive Conservative member’s Pakistani accent.
In an episode that derailed the legislature’s daily question period, Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said they heard NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson “mocking” Tory MPP Kaleed Rasheed.
Both Bisson and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath denied the accusation, which plunged the proceedings into chaos Tuesday.
Horwath said Ford was “lying through his teeth” in order to deflect attention from the government’s controversial cuts to Toronto council.
Speaker Ted Arnott, who recessed the House for five minutes to calm things down, did not hear the alleged slur, which was inaudible in the press gallery or on video.
Still, Government House Leader Todd Smith, who also admitted he didn’t catch anything untoward, said the Tories would refuse to answer any NDP questions until the official opposition
apologized.
“It was very audible to the premier, it was very audible to the minister of finance and a number of other members of government caucus,” said Smith, citing the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly as the reason the Tories will not take New Democrat questions.
“It’s reprehensible that a member was treated in this way. We
won’t stand for it. Unless we get some kind of apology … I wouldn’t expect that we’ll be answering any questions from the official opposition.”
Fedeli said it is “not surprising” that the Speaker, other MPPs and reporters in the legislature missed the exchange.
“You can only hear if you’re in a reasonable distance,” said the finance minister, who sits beside the premier directly across from Horwath and Bisson — about four metres away.
It was the latest example of the state of decorum in the legislature since the June 7 election when Ford’s Tories toppled former premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals.
Arnott has struggled to keep a lid on things with many overzealous MPPs still in campaign mode.
On Tuesday, Ford, who earlier had been taunting the NDP by saying they should hold a leadership review, shouted at Horwath that it was “disgusting” what was allegedly being said from her benches.
“He’s imitating him. It’s racist,” the premier heckled, before yelling in the direction of Brampton Centre New Democrat MPP Sara Singh.
“Do you enjoy your MPP imitating the Indian accent?” Ford thundered at Singh.
Rasheed (Mississauga EastCooksville) arrived in Canada from Pakistan 14 years ago. The rookie MPP, who was asking a government question about the Tories’ decision to scrap regional chair elections in Peel, York, Niagara, and Muskoka, said he could not make out any mimicry.
“I didn’t hear because I was asking a question,” said Rasheed, adding the situation is “very disappointing.”
Horwath blasted Ford for besmirching Bisson’s reputation with a “false accusation.”
“He did not in any way do what he’s accused of doing. I am disgusted with Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford lies through his teeth and he lied again today,” she said.
“He’s lying about the accusation he’s making about my House leader and I am disgusted by it. This government is trying to change the channel because they don’t want to answer our questions about the undemocratic way that they’re behaving.”
Bisson, who speaks with a Franco-Ontarian accent, was bewildered by the Tories’ claim.
“I know what I said. I was heckling across as I always do. I was in the midst of saying, ‘Thank you for cancelling democracy,’ and I got cut off by other heckles,” said the 28-year veteran Timmins MPP.
“I have never in my private life, in my public life, in my family life, with anybody else, made disparaging comments about anybody in regards to their accents or where they come from,” he said.