Wynne grilled over byelection charges

Rivals questioned premier, who gave no specific answers about bribery investigation

Premier Kathleen Wynne faced a fierce grilling from opposition rivals Monday demanding to know whether she directed a Sudbury Liberal organizer to offer a job to a former candidate.

“On every occasion, she evaded it,” Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said after the legislature’s first question period since Ontario Provincial Police laid bribery charges in last winter’s Sudbury byelection scandal. Brown and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath repeatedly zeroed in on Wynne, who would not give specific answers.

“This matter is now before the courts and I will not be commenting,” the premier replied.

“The fact is that this is not the court. This is not the court, where the decisions are going to be made.”

Last Thursday, the OPP charged Sudbury businessman and Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed, chair of the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board and a wealthy funeral director, with one count of counselling an offence not committed and one count of unlawfully influencing or negotiating appointments. Lougheed appears in Sudbury court Nov. 18 and has said he will “vigorously defend” the charges.

Police said Wynne’s deputy chief of staff, Pat Sorbara, who had also been under investigation, will not face criminal charges but a probe continues into whether there were any violations of the Elections Act.

It’s alleged Lougheed offered a job to Andrew Olivier, the Liberal candidate for Sudbury in the 2014 provincial vote, to stay out of the Feb. 5 byelection, smoothing the way for Wynne’s preferred candidate, former New Democrat MP Glenn Thibeault, the eventual winner.

Key evidence in the case involves tapes of separate conversations between Olivier, Lougheed and Sorbara, which Olivier made public in January.

“On the tapes, Mr. Lougheed says, ‘I come to you on behalf of the premier,’ ” Brown told the legislature, noting Wynne may be called to testify at trial.

“Did the premier instruct either Pat Sorbara or Gerry Lougheed Jr. to offer Andrew Olivier a job or an appointment in exchange for staying out of the Sudbury byelection?” the PC leader asked.

Horwath kept up the pressure: “Mr. Lougheed certainly seemed to think that he was speaking for the premier,” and, “if the premier and her staff had nothing to do with this, she should simply say so.”