Newly minted Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has already started trading blows in the thick of Queen’s Park politics as she takes on her new role.
The new Liberal leader, and sitting Mississauga mayor, appeared at the Ontario legislature Tuesday to oversee a meeting of her new Liberal caucus before speaking to reporters.
Surrounded by her new colleagues, Crombie threw a series of barbs at Premier Doug Ford, who levelled accusations of his own.
Crombie said attacks from the Progressive Conservatives about the property she owns, the car she drives and her commitment to her new job were “flailing” and “desperate” and would not stop her.
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“I’m going to spend my time and energy reminding Ontario that they deserve better than Doug Ford and his very shady, scandal-plagued government,” she said.
Ford, speaking earlier in the legislature on Tuesday, said Crombie’s main priority was raising money for her party.
“Flying around on a private jet, going to her $5-million estate in the Hamptons,” Ford said. “She’s out of touch with the average person.”
Crombie said she believed the premier was trying to “change the channel” ahead of the release of Wednesday’s annual investigations by the auditor general, a parliamentary watchdog.
“I’ve no idea what he’s talking about and, quite frankly, I don’t think he knows what he’s talking about,” Crombie said.
The pair have accused one another of being out of touch and taking the side of wealthy developers.
Speaking in the house, Ford also told the Ontario Liberal caucus they had picked the wrong leader and suggested they should have opted for Liberal MPP Ted Hsu, who came last in the race.
His comments were met with chants of “Ted, Ted, Ted” from the Progressive Conservative benches.
Crombie was elected Ontario Liberal leader on Saturday after three rounds of voting by party members. She said Ford had not called her to congratulate her on her win.
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