Liberals’ alleged job offer may have broken law: OPP

TORONTO • Police reportedly think two Ontario Liberals broke the law by offering a job to a man in return for having him not run as a candidate in the Sudbury byelection.

The allegations are contained in an OPP document sworn before a judge to get a production order for evidence, and was obtained by a Toronto newspaper on Thursday.

OPP Detective-Constable Erin Thomas is quoted in the document as saying she “has reasonable grounds to believe and does believe” that the job offer to Andrew Olivier violates the Criminal Code, according

to The Sun.

The police allegations have not been tested in court, and no charges have been laid.

Premier Kathleen Wynne has denied that the Liberals made any specific offers to Mr. Olivier and has promised to cooperate with the police investigation.

Late last year Ms. Wynne asked Mr. Olivier, who ran for the Liberals in last year’s general election, not to seek the nomination for Thursday’s byelection because she wanted to appoint another candidate.

Mr. Olivier has alleged that the Liberals offered him a job or appointment in exchange for his stepping aside for Glenn Thibeault, who left his job as an NDP MP to run for the provincial Liberals.

Mr. Olivier, who is quadriplegic and records conversa- tions in lieu of taking notes, posted audio to YouTube of his talks with two Liberals — Ontario Liberal campaign director Pat Sorbara and Gerry Lougheed, a Sudbury Liberal fundraiser.

In one of the recordings Mr. Olivier posted to YouTube, a man he identified as Mr. Lougheed says he is there on behalf of the premier to ask if he would consider stepping aside and nominating Mr. Thibeault, and telling Mr. Olivier they want to give him options “in terms of appointments, jobs or whatever.”

Mr. Olivier said Ms. Sorbara called him the next day and suggested Ms. Wynne had all but decided to appoint Mr. Thibeault as the candidate.

“We should have the broader discussion about what is it that you’d be most interested in doing, then decide what shape that could take that would fulfil that, is what I’m getting at, whether it’s a full-time or parttime job at a (constituency) office, whether it is appointments to boards or commissions, whether it is also going on the (party executive),” Ms. Sorbara is heard saying in the recording.

Ms. Wynne has said Mr. Olivier’s allegations are false.

Mr. Lougheed has also denied Mr. Olivier’s claims.

The OPP determined last month that no criminal offence was committed, but later reopen the investigation in light of Mr. Olivier’s audio.

Elections Ontario is also investigating.