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Attorney general won't attend Sudbury Liberal meeting

Ontario's Attorney General won't be in Sudbury this week after all to attend a meeting where local Liberals will elect a new riding executive.
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Ontario's Attorney General Madeliene Meilleur won't be in Sudbury this week after all to attend a meeting where local Liberals will elect a new riding executive. File photo.
Ontario's Attorney General won't be in Sudbury this week after all to attend a meeting where local Liberals will elect a new riding executive.

Madeleine Meilleur had planned to attend Tuesday night's event at the Caruso club, but with Elections Ontario in the middle of investigating allegations a candidate was offered a job or appointment to withdraw his candidacy, the party has decided it's best she not appear at the meeting.

“Although the NDP knows that neither the Attorney General herself nor her political staff have any involvement in the handling of any Elections Ontario complaint, to ensure the public can have absolutely no doubt, the Attorney General has respectfully declined the invitation from the Sudbury Provincial Liberal campaign to attend their Annual General Meeting next Tuesday,” said a statement Monday from Simon Tunstall, Ontario Liberal Party executive director.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Liberal Party campaign director Pat Sorbara scheduled to meet with Elections Ontario this week over allegations by Andrew Olivier, who was the party's candidate in the June election.

Olivier has released recordings of conversations he had with Sorbara and local Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed Jr., recordings he says prove they were offering him a job or an appointment to withdraw and back Glenn Thibeault in the Feb. 5 byelection.

Wynne appointed former NDP MP Thibeault the candidate in Sudbury, and says the conversations were only about keeping Olivier involved with the party.

The OPP earlier concluded the Liberals did nothing criminal, but is reviewing new information since the recordings came to light.

The NDP has called for an independent prosecutor to take over the case once the Elections Ontario investigation is completed, arguing that as a Liberal, Meilleur is in no position to take over the case.

But a spokesperson for Wynne says a non-partisan process is already in place to deal with any recommendations from Elections Ontario.

“If the Chief Electoral Officer concludes there has been an apparent contravention of the Act, the complaint would be referred to non-partisan officials in the Ministry of the Attorney General,” Zita Astravas, the premier's press secretary and director of media relations, said in an email last week. “No politicians and no political staff have any involvement.”

Liberals are electing a new riding executive because of the resignation of the old one after Olivier was passed over and Thibeault was appointed the candidate.

Despite the scandal, most polls have Thibeault leading the race in Sudbury, with NDP candidate Suzanne Shawbonquit a close second and Olivier in third.

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