Rivals desperately ‘slinging mud,’ Wynne says
Tories, NDP zero in on OPP court order to release records related to gas plants scandal
WATERDOWN, ONT.— Attacks on the Liberals over the gas plants’ scandal show the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats are “desperate” in the waning days of the election campaign, says Kathleen Wynne.
As Ontarians head to the polls Thursday in a closely fought race, Wynne is facing escalated criticism from her rivals for Grit predecessor Dalton McGuinty’s cancellation of power plants in Oakville and Mississauga before the 2011 vote.
“All they can do is resort to slinging mud and creating controversy and that’s exactly what they’re doing right now,” she said Saturday after visiting a farmer’s market and meeting with supporters of Hamilton-area incumbent Ted McMeekin.
Her comments came after Tory Leader Tim Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath implored her to intervene and make public potential evidence being sought by Ontario Provincial Police detectives investigating whether documents related to McGuinty’s move were deleted.
“I don’t know why anybody would object to that so we can get answers on why this billion dollars went into that hole behind me instead of hiring more nurses or building hospitals,” Hudak told reporters at the site of the aborted Mississauga facility.
“On Tuesday night in the debate, Kathleen Wynne was in your living room through the television or on your radio in the car and she said she was going to be different than Dalton McGuinty,” he said.
“She apologized and said she’d give all the information and we find out on Friday from the OPP that that’s not true. So if somebody told you one thing in your living room Tuesday, why would you ever believe them again?”
In an open letter to both Wynne and Hudak, Horwath said the Liberal chief should “make it clear all party leaders agree the speaker of the legislative assembly of Ontario should ensure these records are handed over to the police immediately, and are released to the public.”
“We learned in recent days that the legislative assembly of Ontario was served with a production order for evidence related to an (OPP) antirackets squad investigation of a criminal breach of trust involving the destruction of records and attempts to cover up the Liberal gas-plants scandal,” the NDP chief wrote.
“The anti-rackets squad obtained a court order requiring the assembly to release these records, including visitor logs for times police believe an off-the-books technology specialist accessed hard drives in the office of the premier,” she continued.
“These records were also sought by members of the justice committee probing the cancellation of two gas plants. However, despite government promises of full disclosure, the Liberal chair of the committee ruled against the request.”
Wynne insisted she’s “taken responsibility” for “mistakes that were made surrounding the relocation of the gas-plants,” but said she cannot meddle in the OPP probe. “Andrea Horwath is absolutely wrong. It is not within the realm of what would be appropriate for me to do to interfere in an ongoing investigation. “That is for the authorities to undertake and we’re going to let the authorities do their work,” said the Liberal leader, who also campaigned in Niagara Falls and Hamilton. “The reality is that right now Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath want to talk about anything but what they are proposing for the people of Ontario,” she said, assailing Hudak for pledging to eliminate 100,000 public service positions over the next four years and Horwath because she “hasn’t brought forward a coherent plan.” Last Thursday’s OPP court order requests the release of “all records” of any visits to Queen’s Park by computer whiz Peter Faist, boyfriend of Laura Miller, McGuinty’s former deputy chief of staff. Faist figures prominently in papers the force used to obtain a search warrant for 24 premier’s office computer hard drives in February. Police allege he was given a special password that would enable the holder to delete information and want to know if and when he was at the legislature between June 1, 2010 and March 30 this year. While detectives allege Faist wiped two of the 24 hard drives — and are doing forensic examinations on the rest — he has not been charged and maintains he has done nothing wrong. The focus of the breach of trust investigation is former McGuinty chief of staff David Livingston, whom the OPP allege gave Faist the password. Livingston has denied any wrongdoing and no charges have been laid. Hudak and Horwath want to keep the gas-plants’ imbroglio in the headlines as the campaign goes down to the wire. A new Forum Research poll for the Star suggested the election very tight.
According to the survey, the Liberals lead with 39 per cent to 37 per cent for the Conservatives while Andrea Horwath’s New Democrats are at 17 per cent and Mike Schreiner’s Greens are at 6 per cent.
Forum used interactive voice-response phone calls to poll 1,022 people across Ontario on Thursday with results considered accurate to within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.