Opposition calls for investigation into Olivier allegations

“What we did say, what I did say and others in the team said to Andrew, is that we hope you stay involved, we hope there are ways that you might stay involved,” Wynne said, in a statement emailed to the media by her communications staff.

“But there were no specific commitments, and I do hope that he stays involved in the political -- in the Liberal Party and in politics in general.”

In his news conference Monday morning, Olivier said he was contacted last week by high-profile party officials urging him to withdraw his candidacy, including Wynne, local Liberal Gerry Lougheed Jr. and Pat Sorbara, Wynne's campaign director.

“(Lougheed) mentioned that if I stepped aside, and endorsed this other person, that I should request to see what was in it for me – perhaps a job or an appointment,” Olivier said.

“I informed Gerry that I have a job.”

He said Wynne called him Thursday night and Sorbara on Friday. Sorbara, he said, “reiterated suggestions of a job or an appointment. I told Pat that I have a job, and that I wanted to seek the nomination.”

Lougheed hasn't returned a call seeking comment. But in a statement, Sorbara denied Olivier was offered a job if he agreed to withdraw his nomination.

"I reached out to Andrew Olivier last week and discussed ways he could remain involved,” Sorbara said. “Any suggestion that anything was offered in exchange for any action is categorically false. Just as the Premier said today, Andrew is a terrific person and I do sincerely hope he will stay involved."

Both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP are calling for Ontario's chief electoral officer to investigate whether such offers were made, which would be a breach of Ontario's Elections Act. In an interview late Monday, Timmins MPP Gilles Bisson said he doubted Olivier realized the seriousness of the allegations he was making.

“I was surprised that he said what he said (but) I don't believe that he realized it was actually a breach of the Election Act,” said Bisson, the NDP's House Leader. “It's a pretty serious accusation that Mr. Olivier makes.

“So I think it's important that the chief electoral officer investigates and finds out what the facts are ... The Act is very clear – you cannot offer someone a job or money for either a vote or run for office, or not run for office.”

While he doesn't know what Wynne said to Olivier in their conversation, Bisson said it's hard to believe offers would be made without approval from high up in the party.

“Those individuals who contacted Mr. Olivier didn't do so in isolation,” he said. “It was two separate people saying the same thing, which tells you that there was actually a plan. And for such a plan to move forward, someone had to sign off at the highest level.”

The Liberals have done this sort of thing in the past, Bisson said. He cited the cancellation of the gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga in 2011, which helped the Liberals keep those seats, but cost Ontario taxpayers $1.1 billion, according to Ontario's auditor general.

“This is a similar kind of thing, where they utilize government for the benefit of the Liberal Party,” he said. “Why? Because they were trying to win some elections.”

While some people may believe such offers are commonplace in government, Bisson said it seems to be a Liberal trait. In his 25 years in politics, he's never heard of such dealings within his own party.

“It's not what happens all the time,” he said. “This is what used to happen in politics in the 1920s and 1930s. And as far as I know, the Conservatives have never done this, either.”