Laurie Scott’s Lindsay office ransacked
‘Attack workers. We attack back. $15.’ spraypainted on building
LINDSAY — Premier Doug Ford’s government is aiming to avert more vandalism and death threats after the Lindsay office of Labour Minister Laurie Scott was trashed over legislation to freeze the minimum wage at $14 and eliminate two paid sick days for Ontario workers.
A large plate glass window and door were smashed at the Lindsay Street North office in Lindsay in her riding of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, chairs overturned and a message in spray paint reading “Attack workers. We attack back. $15.”
“It’s very unfortunate,” said Scott of the incident. “Certainly, people are going to disagree but there are avenues for this. We can debate the issue or there can be peaceful protests .... But they (suspect) crossed the line. This is not okay.”
Scott said the incident has definitely “shaken” staff but they are not letting it interfere with their jobs of dealing with constituents.
The office is closed, but the public can still access it via phone and computer.
Scott said the damage was confined to the front reception area as the main office is secured.
She asks the public to be patient while repairs are completed. She said she hopes the office will reopen as soon as possible.
“We all know there are going to be sensitive times ahead, but this crossed a line,” Government House Leader Todd Smith said Tuesday, noting the premier and Economic Development Minister Jim Wilson received death threats on social media and by telephone.
Ford was elected to a majority in June by promising to cut $6 billion in government spending by finding “efficiencies” that opposition parties warn will bring cuts to health care, education and other services.
“I believe in democratic and peaceful protest and debate but we will not tolerate vandalism, intimidation or bullying,” Scott told reporters, defending the Making Ontario Open for Business Act that would repeal several key elements of the previous Liberal government’s 2017 labour reforms that were to boost the minimum wage to $15 in January.
“I’m very proud of the piece of legislation that we have brought in. It’s fairness for workers and for businesses in the province of Ontario. It’s open for jobs.”
The vandalism is under investigation by Kawartha Lakes police.
Smith called on labour organizations to condemn the damage to Scott’s office and blamed them for it, even though authorities have made no arrests.
He cited remarks from Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) president Chris Buckley that Ford is an “enemy toward workers” for reversing elements of the Liberal labour law modernization and to “stay tuned” for further action.
“Unfortunately we’ve seen a lot of inflamed rhetoric over this introduction of the bill. That rhetoric has, I believe, led to the activity that we saw last night in Lindsay and some of the threats that have been made,” Smith said.
“What we’re hoping is that we can have an honest and, constructive and forthright debate on this issue without the fear of violence and violence,” he added.
“We want to see Fifteen and Fairness and some of these other radical groups to acknowledge the fact that a line has been crossed here, that they’ve gone too far, that this will not be acceptable.”
The OFL said Smith’s attack is off base while opposition parties said he was out of line given the premier’s often fiery about political foes.
“I want to be clear, the Ontario Federation of Labour does not support or condone violence against persons or property in any form,” Buckley said in a statement.
“We encourage all workers to join with the OFL and its community partners in peacefully demanding better working conditions and higher wages for all workers in this province, whether they are unionized or not.”
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said of Smith: “If you’re going to assign blame, you’d better be pretty specific and have pretty specific proof. It’s about taking the temperature down here. It’s not about pumping it up.”
Fraser and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath condemned the vandalism and death threats.
“No matter how much they (workers) are being hurt by this government, resorting to violence like that is absolutely unacceptable and shouldn’t be happening. You have to protest peacefully,” said Horwath.
But she predicted anger with the Progressive Conservatives will continue to build after recent moves like cancelling university campus expansions to Brampton, Milton and Markham and halving Toronto city council in the middle of the election campaign.
“Every day there are more and more, thousands and thousands of people, who are not happy with what this government’s doing and they’ve only been in office for a couple of months.”
City of Kawartha Lakes OPP officers were called to Scott’s office at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officers arrived and found extensive damage to the exterior and interior of the building. The vandals had fled Scott’s office prior to the arrival of police.
Investigators with the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service Criminal Investigation Branch are actively investigating this incident and are asking that anyone who may have information about the damage caused to Minister Scott’s office contact Det. Sgt. Kirk Robertson at krobertson@klps.ca, or by telephone at 705-324-5252. If you wish to provide your information anonymously you can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477 or at www.khcs.ca.
Pam Frache, of the Fight for $15 and Fairness, a group which has been critical the government policy, said she learned about the incident of vandalism at Scott’s office via social media.
“We don’t organize in that way,” he said. “We did not organize that ... that’s all I can say about that, but people are angry. I think that’s the scary thing about the situation. When there is this kind of a threat coming from Queen’s Park, I think people are feeling frustrated.”