Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer has been made aware of the alleged bribery allegations in Sudbury. That’s according to Timmins-James Bay MPP, Gilles Bisson. Bisson has written an open letter to Kathleen Wynne saying the allegations are deeply troubling. He says he is compelled to write the letter, because of the past practice of senior Liberals deleting emails in order to cover up details of a 1.1 billion dollar gas plant scandal. A Liberal candidate claims he was offered a job if he dropped out of a Sudbury by-election to make room for another Liberal.
Read Bisson’s full letter below –
Sent by Fax & Hand Delivered
Dear Premier Wynne,
Andrew Olivier, a lifelong Liberal and former Liberal candidate, alleges that senior Liberals met and spoke with him on your behalf and offered him a “job or appointment” to induce him not to seek the Liberal nomination in Sudbury, in order to make way for your hand-picked candidate. Specifically, Mr. Olivier says he met or received calls from Gerry Lougheed Jr. a local Liberal “kingmaker,” you, and your Deputy Chief of Staff Pat Sorbara. The allegations are deeply troubling. As you know, the allegation suggests there was a violation of Section 96.1 of the Election Act which prohibits bribery, by offering a job to person to “induce a person to… refrain from becoming a candidate.”
Because of the past practice of senior Liberals who deleted emails in order to cover up details of a $1.1 billion gas plants scandal, I am compelled to write to you to ensure that history is not repeated.
As you know, I have written Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer to request that he investigate this matter immediately. Additionally, I have drawn his attention to the ongoing OPP investigation of deleted emails in the Premier’s Office, and suggested that Elections Ontario together with other relevant organizations like the Ontario Provincial Police and Ontario’s Information and Privacy Office take steps to prevent the intentional or unintentional destruction of records in the Premier’s Office, the offices of the Liberal Party of Ontario and Member of Parliament Glenn Thibeault.
I have enclosed for your information a copy of my recent letter to Elections Ontario.
I ask that you commit to ensuring your staff, and the staff of the Liberal Party of Ontario preserve all records related to Andrew Olivier and the Sudbury by-election, and that you provide third-party verification to Ontarians when this has been completed.
Sincerely,
(original signed)
Gilles Bisson,
MPP Timmins – James Bay
Ontario NDP House Leader
Cc:
Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Ontario
Brian Beamish, Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Vince Hawkes, Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police
Steve Clark, PC House Leader