Conservatives turn up heat on energy minister

Tempers flared as embattled Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault was accused of shedding “crocodile tears” over the impact the Sudbury byelection bribery case has had on his wife and young children.

Opposition parties kept pressure on Thibeault to resign Wednesday after Crown prosecutor Vern Brewer said he “sought certain benefits” from Premier Kathleen Wynne’s former deputy chief of staff to run in the February 2015 contest.

That deputy, Patricia Sorbara, faces an Election Act charge for allegedly offering Thibeault, then a New Democrat MP, an inducement to switch to provincial politics. Thibeault is not charged or under investigation and denies seeking any benefits.

“The minister has been accused of seeking a bribe. The honourable thing for him to do is step aside,” Progressive Conservative MPP Steve Clark said during a testy question period in the Legislature.

“A few crocodile tears to elicit sympathy doesn’t change that fact.”

That drew jeers from the Liberal benches, with Thibeault calling it “low” and Finance Minister Charles Sousa shouting at Clark, “You got kids, pal?”

“I cannot express the depth of my disappointment at a member of this House expressing or mocking . . . another member, a man who was defending his family,” Wynne said. Clark was unapologetic. “I’m sticking to my guns,” he told reporters later, as about 100 people protested in front of the legislature about high hydro rates.

“You want to do the right thing for your family and Ontarians? You step aside. He’s the one who brought up his family yesterday.”

Meanwhile, with some families having their electricity cut off for nonpayment, Thibeault is tasked with lowering hydro costs while an 8-per-cent tax cut is set to start in January. “We are working on no more disconnections when it comes to winter,” he said.