Tory urged rival not to seek nomination
Comments heard on secret recording
A Progressive Conservative candidate in the Ontario election asked a fellow Tory not to challenge him for their riding’s nomination, at one point suggesting the other candidate could receive a well-paying job in a likely Conservative government if he dropped out of the race.
The comments can be heard on a secretly made recording of the 2016 conversation — obtained by National Post — between Parm Gill, the PC candidate in Milton constituency, and businessman Rashid Qadri.
“The opportunities are limitless,” Gill, a former federal Conservative MP, tells Qadri at one point. “Let’s assume we form a government and you become a chief of staff.”
The party said Thursday it considered a complaint that Gill had exerted inappropriate pressure.
But it received three expert opinions — including a letter from former police chief and federal cabinet minister Julian Fantino — that he did nothing wrong.
Gill said Thursday he only suggested to Qadri what sort of career opportunities might be available if the party won the June 7 election, and says any suggestion otherwise is desperation politics.
Qadri eventually dropped out of the race for the nomination and endorsed Gill, who won the candidacy over Halton Region Coun. Mike Cluett a year ago.
The emergence of the tape just three weeks before the election, though, underlines the internal squabbling and controversy that continues to plague the Tories.
“I would be honoured if I could have your support and if we can form a team,” Gill says in the conversation at Qadri’s home. “You tell me, what is it that interests you moving forward? … How can I be helpful and I will do everything I can.”
“The opportunities are limitless, but it’s what interests you,” he says a moment later.
When Qadri says that he is busy enough with his own company, Gill suggests he run for Milton council, then raises the prospect of a job at the Ontario legislature.
“Let’s assume we form a government and you become a chief of staff,” he says, to which Qadri replies only “OK.” “For one of the ministers, right? So that’s one way of really quickly picking everything up … And the chief of staffs are actually paid very decently, believe it or not. Almost at the same pay grade as the MPPs or MPs.”
Gill said Thursday he hasn’t heard the recording, but said any talk of jobs was merely stating the obvious about what might occur after June 7.
“There’s all sorts of things that happen when you form a government: people are hired, people are fired,” he said in a brief interview. “That’s pretty straightforward and simple.”
A senior Conservative official from the time said Thursday that the recording caused a stir in the party, with at least one official recommending Gill be disqualified, though he was eventually given a green light.
The provincial Elections Act says no one can “give, procure or promise or agree to procure an office or employment to induce a person to become a candidate, refrain from becoming a candidate or withdraw his or her candidacy.”
Melissa Lantsman, a spokeswoman for the Conservative campaign, said Thursday that three outside opinions — from Fantino, a lawyer and a retired police sergeant — convinced the party the allegations of coercion were false.
“Nothing of what I heard ... constitutes, even remotely, the basis of criminal activity,” wrote Fantino, a federal Conservative who served in
MR. GILL’S CONDUCT WAS PROFESSIONAL AND BEYOND REPROACH.
former prime minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet and was a caucus-mate of Gill’s in Ottawa. “I do wonder however why such a conversation would be taped in the first place.”
Lawyer Joshua Henderson says in another letter there was nothing on the tape “even remotely close” to Gill promising to procure a job for Qadri.
“Indeed, Mr. Gill’s conduct was professional and beyond reproach,” wrote Henderson, who represented former PC candidate Karma MacGregor recently in a controversy over the Ottawa West Nepean nomination.
MacGregor is the mother of a one-time staff member and ex-girlfriend of Patrick Brown, who resigned as Tory leader in February. Another lawyer in Henderson’s firm is a law-school friend of Brown’s.
Alex Williamson, a retired Ontario Provincial Police officer, said in the third note that at no time did Gill try to influence Qadri in his candidacy.