Ford urges Simard to keep ranks

Premier Doug Ford pressed rebel MPP Amanda Simard to stay with the Progressive Conservatives after she called his moves to scrap an independent French-language watchdog and university “a big mistake.”

Ford appeared frustrated Wednesday, saying his office called the party’s lone francophone MPP “a dozen times” with no response in the past week. There has been speculation she could bolt to the Liberals in a high-profile defection.

“I want her part of my team,” the premier told reporters after Simard (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) spoke in favour of a non-binding New Democrat motion to reinstate the French services and voted against the government’s fall economic statement in a double-edged show of defiance.

“She wants to side with the Liberals and NDP, that’s MPP Simard’s choice … I’d rather her be part of the team,” Ford added.

Simard, whose eastern Ontario riding is 70 per cent francophone, accused the PCs of trying to muzzle her from speaking in favour of the NDP motion by not putting her on the speaker’s list. But she eventually got a chance to speak.

“We are always forced to protect our rights,” Simard said in her address to MPPs.

The university and the watchdog are “a necessity, not a sign of largesse,” she added in a shot at Ford, who maintains the province must cut costs as it fights a $14.5-billion deficit.