The Speaker's next battle

Plus: Baber case dismissed, more vax asks, and rumours of Science Table modelling have been greatly exaggerated

Good Monday morning. This is Queen’s Park Observer.

ABOVE THE FOLD

The NDP are turning up the heat on RICK NICHOLLS and the PC invoice-style mailers, giving oxygen to two stories the Tories probably wish would go away — and that they haven’t fully addressed yet.

— SPEAKER BOXED: Opposition House leader PEGGY SATTLER wrote to her counterpart in government, PAUL CALANDRA, asking for a meeting to talk “next steps to replace MPP Nicholls as Deputy Speaker in light of the events of the last week,” when Nicholls was turfed from the PC caucus for refusing to get the jab.

The longtime MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington acknowledged that he might be removed as Deputy Speaker, meaning all MPPs would have to vote on his replacement.

The NDP also want to discuss a vaccine policy ahead of the Legislature’s return next month. While Speaker TED ARNOTT has shut down the notion of a mandate, Premier DOUG FORD changed his tune slightly last week, saying elected officials “must rightfully be held to a high…