Liberal 'appointment' offer to Andrew Olivier under scrutiny

In the wake of bribery allegations involving a former Liberal candidate in Sudbury, the provincial NDP wants Elections Ontario to seize Liberal hard drives.

The party is urging Premier Kathleen Wynne's government to refrain from erasing any files.

• Wynne denies offering Andrew Olivier an appointment to step aside

The NDP is making the plea after Sudbury's Andrew Olivier alleged he was offered an unspecified position if he endorsed another candidate in the upcoming by-election.

Olivier was planning to seek the Liberal nomination himself.

He claims Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed was one of the people who made the suggestion — something Lougheed flatly denies.

“There was at no time any job ever offered,” he told CBC News.

“My comment to Andrew was definitely he needs to stay part of the team. And exactly how did he perceive that?  I said I think the premier, Sudbury, [and] Ontario needed his passion and leadership.”

Lougheed said he doesn't have authority to offer any one a job or appointment in the Liberal Party.

“I believe he had every right to suggest he wanted to continue to be part of the team,” Lougheed said, noting that he encouraged Olivier to “articulate” how his leadership would be part of that team.

Lougheed added he will support Olivier if he ever runs again.

Letter to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne from Timmins MPP Gilles Bisson:

17 December 2014

Dear Premier Wynne,

Andrew Olivier, a lifelong Liberal and former Liberal candidate, alleges that senior Liberals met and spoke with him on your behalf and offered him a “job or appointment” to induce him not to seek the Liberal nomination in Sudbury, in order to make way for your hand-picked candidate. Specifically, Mr. Olivier says he met or received calls from Gerry Lougheed Jr. a local Liberal “kingmaker,” you, and your Deputy Chief of Staff Pat Sorbara. The allegations are deeply troubling. As you know, the allegation suggests there was a violation of Section 96.1 of the Election Act which prohibits bribery, by offering a job to person to “induce a person to… refrain from becoming a candidate.”

Because of the past practice of senior Liberals who deleted emails in order to cover up details of a $1.1 billion gas plants scandal, I am compelled to write to you to ensure that history is not repeated.

As you know, I have written Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer to request that he investigate this matter immediately. Additionally, I have drawn his attention to the ongoing OPP investigation of deleted emails in the Premier’s Office, and suggested that Elections Ontario, together with other relevant organizations like the Ontario Provincial Police and Ontario’s Information and Privacy Office take steps to prevent the intentional or unintentional destruction of records in the Premier’s Office, the offices of the Liberal Party of Ontario and Member of Parliament Glenn Thibeault.

I have enclosed for your information a copy of my recent letter to Elections Ontario. 

I ask that you commit to ensuring your staff, and the staff of the Liberal Party of Ontario preserve all records related to Andrew Olivier and the Sudbury by-election, and that you provide third-party verification to Ontarians when this has been completed.

Sincerely,
Gilles Bisson, MPP Timmins - James Bay, Ontario NDP House Leader

Cc:

Greg Essensa, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Ontario

Brian Beamish, Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Vince Hawkes, Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police

Steve Clark, PC House Leader