NDP deputy leader Singh grills the government as Thibeault refuses to step down

Today during Question Period Ontario NDP Deputy Leader Jagmeet Singh grilled the Liberal government and Minister of Energy over the Minister’s role in the Sudbury bribery scandal.

Yesterday the Federal Prosecutor in the cases against former senior aide to the Premier Pat Sorbara and Liberal operative Gerry Lougheed told media that Mr. Thibeault “sought certain benefits” to run in the Provincial byelection for the Liberal party in Sudbury.

“The government denies that the Minister of Energy is involved in a bribery scandal.  But the OPP say there was a bribe offered by the Liberal Campaign Director Pat Sorbara.  Now the federal prosecutor says that the Minister “sought certain benefits, offers or jobs or employment” as condition of running,” said Singh.  “Does the Acting Premier believe it’s appropriate for the Minister of Energy to sit in Cabinet, while a Federal Prosecutor says the condition of him running was that he received special benefits?”

The scandal is becoming more and more of stain on the Premier’s tenure and that of her Liberal Party.  During Question Period today Singh noted that when former Minister of Finance Greg Sorbara was named in an RCMP warrant, he immediately stepped aside from Cabinet and asked why Thibeault doesn’t follow the same precedent.

“The Minister of Energy is at the center of a bribery investigation, and yesterday, a Federal Prosecutor said the Minister was seeking benefits to resign as an MP and run for the provincial Liberal Party,” said Singh who then asked why the Minister won’t take a page out of Sorbara’s book and step aside.

The more Ontarians learn about what exactly happened during the Sudbury byelection, the more they lose faith in the capacity of this Liberal regime to govern in a responsible way.  New Democrats are committed to representing the people of Sudbury while their MPP is embroiled in this scandal.