Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault, who is also the MPP for Sudbury, is being pressured by the NDP to step down. The demand follows allegations that the Premier’s former Deputy Chief of Staff induced Thibeault to leave the federal NDP for the Ontario Liberals. It’s alleged Pat Sorbara made the inducement and the OPP charged her under the Elections Act. However Thibeault denies he was bribed and his lawyer says the claim is absurd. Thibeault ran successfully for the Liberals in Sudbury’s February, 2015 by-election.
Meanwhile, a Tory MPP who lobbied for a probe into the Sudbury by-election scandal says Ontarians want to know who else was behind the alleged bribes. Steve Clark, who represents a Brockville-area riding, has been trying to get that question answered during Question Period. In addition to Sorbara, Gerry Lougheed Junior of Sudbury is charged for promising to reward former Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier if he didn’t seek the Sudbury nomination. Clark says the public doesn’t believe for one second that the scandal only involves two people. He says voters want to know to what extent the government was involved and at what point did Premier Kathleen Wynne learn about the alleged offers. However Clark is having a tough time getting answers because he says the Premier keeps referring his questions to different ministers.