SCOOP: Thanigasalam broke ethics rules
Plus: Baber ads, NDPer's mea culpa, Karahalios barred (again), budget talks kick off in Windsor, Ford's weekend rural housing summit
ABOVE THE FOLD
First in Queen’s Park Observer — BABER BROADCAST: Turfed-Tory-turned-Independent ROMAN BABER is taking to the airwaves with campaign-style ads.
Baber — the rookie MPP for politically-competitive York Centre who was booted from the government bench for his anti-lockdown stance — hasn’t officially said whether he’s running for re-election.
But the ads could be a big hint that he’s in for the 2022 campaign.
Broadcast on Newstalk1010 — a station many folks in the Ford Nation and small-c conservative bases tune into — the pair of ads lament pandemic lockdowns and pump up Baber’s political come-up story. The radio spots were authorized by the chief financial officer for his constituency association. Transcripts:
Ad I: “I’m MPP Roman Baber. For over a year, I’ve been calling to end the lockdowns. Covid is a serious infection and can be very dangerous to some folks. But children should be at school and we must factor in the harm of lockdowns on our health and mental health. That’s why we need to end the lockdown, protect long-term care, and build hospital capacity. It’s time for a new pandemic strategy. It’s time to heal. Join me, at join Roman dot ca.”
Ad II: “I’m MPP Roman Baber. I came to Canada at age 15 — and we didn’t have a cent to our name. But I always had a job. And I always had this incredible joy because I had opportunity. All you need to do to succeed in Canada is work hard and be nice to people. This is without a doubt the best country in the world. Now, I had every opportunity to work and succeed, and that’s why I’m in public service — to preserve Canadian opportunity.”
Unfazed by a vote-split: While PC insiders tell me they aren’t sweating the potential competition, incumbents such as Baber tend to get a leg-up on the ballot in part because of name recognition and the ability to run on their record.
And while Baber’s anti-lockdown stance may likely turn off voters — he could steal a significant chunk of votes from the Tories, which would put them in a precarious position come election season. Also scooped in Queen’s Park Observer: Baber’s competition is already shaping up, with the PCs nominating candidate MICHAEL KERZNER, a chief strategist at a genetic testing firm, and the Liberals picking lawyer SHELLEY BROWN.
Revving up the money-making machine: It’s also easier for Baber and his fellow Independents to build up their cash arsenal and fundraise beyond the regular campaign period, putting them on par with their party-affiliated rivals, thanks to the Ford government’s latest changes to election finance law.
Caveat: The public likely won’t see how much cash Independents have raised until after the general election, as they’re not subject to the same real-time donation disclosures as recognized parties.
SCOOP — THANIGASALAM BROKE THE RULES: A PC candidate promo has landed VIJAY THANIGASALAM in hot water with the ethics watchdog, who found the MPP for Scarborough—Rouge Park breached parliamentary convention by using his constituency office for partisan purposes.
That’s a major no-no for Integrity Commissioner J. DAVID WAKE, who censured Thanigasalam in a quietly released report late last month.
Catch up on the background here. The gist: As first reported by Queen’s Park Observer, Wake launched an investigation into whether Thanigasalam breached the Members’ Integrity Act following a complaint from NDP Ethics critic TARAS NATYSHAK, who alleged Thanigasalam was “misusing constituency resources to promote” ALICIA VIANGA, who’s running for the PCs in neighbouring Scarborough—Guildwood.
The scene, per Natyshak’s sworn affidavit: Last April, Thanigasalam and the PC Scarborough caucus — CHRISTINA MITAS, RAYMOND CHO, and ARIS BABIKIAN — hosted a virtual town-hall event to talk about Covid vaccines. Mitas introduced Vianga as “our candidate” and later on, attendees received thank-you emails from Thanigasalam’s MPP account. Natyshak claims Thanigasalam used his constit office to plan an event at which Vianga “was given special recognition” on par with elected MPPs, “thereby promoting her partisan campaign.” He added: “Thanigasalam made the choice to put partisan politics above the stated purpose of the event.”
Wake agreed, sort of: When it comes to the town-hall event, Thanigasalam “breached parliamentary convention” — but his staff shouldered much of the blame.
That said, Wake determined that “Mr. Thanigasalam is responsible for his staff’s errors because he did not adequately train or supervise them.”
At issue for the commish: “While I find it was not his intent to hold a partisan event, his staff introduced partisan aspects to the town hall during their planning of it, namely the invitation of only Progressive Conservative members of provincial parliament to supplement the medical expert, the selection of a PC candidate as an invitee to speak at the event, changing the itinerary at the request of the candidate to identify her as the PC candidate for Scarborough—Guildwood and then reposting a modified poster for the event created by a volunteer for the candidate, which identified her as the PC candidate for Scarborough— Guildwood and included the Progressive Conservative Party logo. This was compounded when, during the event, the candidate was acknowledged as a candidate and as being from the riding she sought to represent.”
Thanigasalam won’t face any penalties because he “has since arranged for his staff to have training with respect to the parliamentary convention, which should prevent any similar breaches in future.”
A warning shot: This is a cautionary tale for other MPPs, prospective candidates and staff in the run-up to the spring campaign, which officially kicks off in 100 days.
So as not to blur the lines between taxpayer-funded resources and partisan campaign work, Wake recommended all political parties’ caucus services branch “develop a detailed training program for MPP staff so that they understand their roles and the importance of not using legislative and constituency resources for partisan purposes.”
Context: It’s not the first time partisan lines have been blurred on the campaign trail. Thanigasalam’s situation smacks of the federal Morneau-Anand controversy, in which then-Liberal finance minister BILL MORNEAU was found to have violated the rules when he pumped up prospective candidate, now-MP ANITA ANAND while acting in his capacity as minister.
HAPPENING TODAY
— 12 p.m.: Economic Development Minister VIC FEDELI will make a virtual announcement. Also on hand: PC MPP DAVE SMITH (Peterborough—Kawartha).
MAKING HEADLINES
— PARISH’S MEA CULPA: “A leading Jewish human rights organization says an apology from an Ontario NDP candidate doesn’t go far enough.” From Sun columnist Brian Lilley: “STEVE PARISH, selected to run in Ajax under the New Democrat banner, has been under fire for honouring a Nazi naval officer when he was mayor of Ajax…Parish offered comments on Saturday at his nomination meeting:
‘There has been controversy over the renaming of Langsdorff Ave. in Ajax, and comments that I made at that time. I want to say clearly and unequivocally that the Nazi regime that ruled in Germany from 1933 to 1945 was the most evil regime in the history of humankind.’”
— DOUG FORD’S WEEKEND — RURAL HOUSING SUMMIT: After sitting down with big city mayors, the Premier “met Sunday with leaders of rural, remote and northern communities to discuss their housing challenges as issues of rapid price growth and lack of supply are felt far beyond urban borders.” Allison Jones got the details in the Canadian Press: “Those who work in housing in the areas outside Ontario’s large centres said that while there are common issues across the province, governments seeking solutions need to remember the unique needs and challenges of smaller regions.”
— BUDGET TALKS A-GO: It’s all about Windsor. That’s where Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY kicked off his pre-budget consultation tour — and also where the PCs are gunning for, election-wise. (Reminder: The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is running a tandem tour and will be back at it Wednesday.)
— Meanwhile, Bethlenfalvy wants more Omicron-fighting measures from Ottawa. In a statement after meeting with his federal-provincial-territorial counterparts, Bethlenfalvy thanked Liberal Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND for “agreeing to continue discussions about municipal shortfalls related to public transit systems” and re-upped the premiers’ call to boost federal health transfers to 35 per cent of spending.
— GASSED UP: “Ontario municipalities with public transit systems are receiving an additional $120 million in gas tax funding this year.”
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
— IN CHARGE OF WORKERS’ COMP: At the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, GRANT WALSH has been named chair of the board of directors and JEFFREY LANG has been named president and CEO, taking up the mantle from outgoing chair ELIZABETH WITMER and interim prez TOM BELL, whose terms are expiring. Per their government-issued bios, Walsh previously chaired the Canada Lands Company, a Crown corp focused on real estate and development. Lang is CEO of a manufacturing firm in southwest Ontario.
— TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE ASSEMBLES UP NORTH: Ontario is launching a northern transit task force that will help inform policies that will make it easier for people and goods to travel. The task force is comprised of local mayors, First Nation leaders, and tourism and trucking reps. It’s co-chaired by DANNY WHALEN, president of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and Temiskaming Shores councillor, and WENDY LANDRY, president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and Mayor of Shuniah. Full roster.
— SUPPORTING SURVIVORS: There’s a new chair of the Office for Victims of Crime — SONYA JODOIN, who currently serves as the executive director for Victim Services of Leeds and Grenville.
SPOTTED (OR NOT):
New Blue MPP BELINDA KARAHALIOS reportedly not invited to an anti-lockdown rally near Queen’s Park featuring fellow ousted Tory RANDY HILLIER…CTV News Queen’s Park bureau chief and press gallery president Colin D’Mello satirized in cartoon-form:
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations since Friday:
— Ginny Roth, Crestview Strategy: Great Canadian Gaming
— Sarah Letersky, Rubicon Strategy: Novartis
— Jan O'Driscoll, Rubicon Strategy: Bedrock Energy Corp.
— Marsha Seca, Edelman Canada: Cisco Systems Canada, HP Canada
— Amanda DeYoung, Sussex Strategy Group: Penta Properties
— Michael Ras, Counsel Public Affairs: Biogen Canada
— Laura Grosman, Hill + Knowlton Strategies: Dexcom Canada Co.
— Donald Gracey, CG Management & Communications: Perley Health Community of Care (formerly Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre)
In-house organizations: Chicken Farmers of Ontario — Alstom Transport Canada.
⏳ COUNTDOWN: 129 days until Election Day…100 days until the official start of the 2022 campaign…29 days until the House reconvenes…66 days until the budget is (legally) due out.