Ontario premier denies in court that she offered NDP MP a job in her cabinet
SUDBURY, Ont. — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne denied in court Wednesday that she promised a New Democrat MP a cabinet position to get him to leave his party and run for the provincial Liberals.
The premier is a witness in the trial of two Liberals who are charged with bribery under the Election Act over allegations they offered a would-be candidate a job or appointment to get him to step aside for NDP MP Glenn Thibeault, who was Wynne’s preferred candidate in a 2015 byelection.
Wynne herself is not facing charges and her lawyers sent Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown a letter Wednesday demanding he retract comments they say suggest the premier is standing trial.
Court heard that a man who let the premier’s staff know that Thibeault might be interested in switching parties relayed to them concerns he said Thibeault had “before jumping.”