NDP leader's 'Trumpian' Ford prison prediction admonished by Tories
· Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles’ “lock him up”-style comments this week about Ontario Premier Doug Ford earned an admonishment from the government house leader, accusing her of engaging in Donald Trump-style politics.
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The drama began Monday when, while scrumming with reporters, Stiles implied that the embattled premier won’t get a chance to further his mandate for another term because he’ll be behind bars.
“I know he doesn’t want to provide answers about the luxury jet and how much it really cost and what happened there,” she said.
“He was willing to pass laws to make it impossible for journalists or the public or ourselves in the opposition to find out why decisions were made or who’s influencing his decisions, but listen — don’t worry about it Doug, because when I’m premier, I’m going to call a public inquiry into all of this and we’re going to get our hands on all of that, and you know what? Maybe you won’t get another mandate because you’ll be in prison, Doug.”
House leader calls comments ‘Trumpian,’ Stiles unfazed
Observers immediately drew parallels between Stiles’ comments and the infamous “lock her up” slogan used by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, stemming from revelations that Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton used private email services while serving as secretary of state — a violation of rules governing sensitive and classified government communications.
During a debate that same year, Trump told Clinton she’d be in jail if he became president.
In that vein, Government House Leader Steve Clark invoked the Maga-verse while responding to Stiles’ first question during question period on Tuesday.
“Yesterday we saw the Leader of the Opposition invoke dangerous American-style Trumpian rhetoric that quite frankly has no place in this Legislature,” he said before being drowned out by catcalls and shouts of “shame,” prompting House Speaker Donna Skelly to intervene.
“I’m warning members now — this behaviour will be respectful in the chamber, or members will be warned and asked to leave,” she said.
Stiles ‘doesn’t have to apologize,’ Ford says
Clark stood again to finish his response.
“That type of rhetoric lowers the tone in this House,” he said.
“It has no place in this Legislature, our province or our country.”
Stiles appeared unapologetic in her response.
“That seems pretty rich coming from a government that is under RCMP criminal investigation,” she said, referring to the ongoing probe into the Greenbelt land swap — a scandal that saw the government in 2022 redesignate nearly 3,000 hectares of Greenbelt land for housing development.
Commenced in October 2023, that investigation is still underway.
Scrumming with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Premier Ford said Stiles’ comments went too far.
“That Trump-style rhetoric is unacceptable as far as I’m concerned,” he told reporters outside of his office.
“She doesn’t have to apologize, whatever she wants to do, but we aren’t going to lower ourselves to that Trump-style rhetoric that she’s spewing right now.”