MPP leaves Tory caucus over francophone decisions

A Progressive Conservative legislator who publicly denounced Ontario’s decision to eliminate the independent office of the French-language services commissioner and a planned French-language university severed ties with the Tories on Thursday, the culmination of a dispute that saw her vote against her own party’s legislation.

In a letter to the Speaker of the legislature, Amanda Simard said her decision was effective immediately, and she will remain as an independent. New Democrats and Liberals said they were not aware of any efforts to recruit her to their ranks.

“I am no longer a member of the Progressive Conservative Caucus,” Simard wrote in the letter. “I will continue to take my place in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as an Independent.”

The rookie MPP, who represents a largely Franco-Ontarian riding, broke ranks with Premier Doug Ford’s government over the two controversial decisions affecting about 600,000 francophones in the province.

Simard said Wednesday that she was not satisfied by the government’s announcement late last week that it would create a commissioner position within the office of the provincial ombudsman, establish a Ministry of Francophone Affairs, and hire a senior policy adviser on francophone affairs in the premier’s office.

She said the “partial backtracking” was not enough, and chose to vote against the legislation.

Ford has said the measures regarding the commissioner and the university were necessary to bring down the province’s deficit.