SCOOP: Big partisan breach
Plus: Q+A with Not One Seat and what's next for Del Duca and Horwath
ABOVE THE FOLD
First in Queen’s Park Observer — AN ETHICS NO-NO: ANDREA HORWATH seems to have breached parliamentary convention by using legislative resources for partisan purposes.
The event in question: An all-candidates forum put on by the Grain Farmers of Ontario last week, in which the NDP leader took part from what appears to be her Queen’s Park office.
Why it matters: At first blush, it could be a violation of parliamentary convention, as the ethics watchdog has long said taxpayer-funded legislative and constituency office resources should not be used for partisan activity.
The NDP didn’t respond to a request for comment on this story — but their rivals weighed in. Asked whether it was appropriate for Horwath to use her Queen’s Park office for an all-candidates debate, the Grits said: “This appears to be a clear violation of the Legislature’s rules.” Campaign press secretary ANDREA ERNESAKS added: “While we are focused on defeating DOUG FORD, I trust Ms. Horwath will…