NDP Deputy Leader calls for Thibeault’s resignation from Cabinet

Today during Question Period, Deputy Leader of the Ontario NDP Jagmeet Singh called on the Premier to remove her Minster of Energy from cabinet in light of the shocking allegations of bribery involving him. 

“The people of Ontario deserve a government of integrity. They deserve a Premier that puts integrity ahead of protecting her friends, party insiders and cabinet ministers,” said Singh. “Why has the Premier not yet received the resignation of her Minister of Energy from Cabinet?”

The call comes after charges were laid by the OPP Tuesday against the Premier’s top aide Pat Sorbara.  Sorbara is facing two counts of violating the Elections Act. The first for allegedly bribing former Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier not to run in the Sudbury byelection; the second and perhaps more distributing charge is for allegedly bribing the Minister of Energy to run in that same byelection.

“The Premier must understand why Ontarians are so concerned about the Minister continuing to serve in her Cabinet while he is potentially under investigation for bribery,” noted Singh. “Never before in the history of this Province has something like this happened. The Premier needs to show Ontarians that she is taking this seriously, she needs to ask her Minister to step down from Cabinet until this mess is sorted out.”

During the last provincial election, the Premier promised Ontarians that she was different.  She promised people that her Liberal party would not be riddled with scandal after scandal like her predecessor. 

Yet again the people of Ontario are disappointed.

The NDP is calling on the Premier to stop putting the interests of her party ahead of the needs of Ontarians and ask her Minister of Energy to step down until the very serious allegations against him are settled.