Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP Randy Hillier has officially been kicked out of the Ontario PC caucus.
Hillier was suspended back in February for allegedly saying “yada, yada, yada” when addressing parents of children with autism in the public gallery there to watch a debate over the controversial changes to the Ontario Autism Program.
Since then, Hillier has been vocal about his suspension, defending himself and describing what he said as “banter” directed at the NDP opposition.
Most recently, Hillier allegedly wrote a letter to a select few constituents, claiming that he was being targeted not because of what he might have said in the house, but because of bad blood between him and party officials.
The letter stated that there had been “long-standing tensions” between him and Doug Ford’s most senior advisers, Dean French and Chris Froggatt, over “what is expected of MPPs in the PC caucus.”
A letter obtained by Global News from caucus Chair and MPP for Hastings—Lennox and Addington Darryl Kramp on Friday says that the decision to permanently expel Hillier was made after a full review of Hillier’s conduct as a representative of the PC party.
Essentially, according to Kramp’s letter, Ford made the decision to kick Hillier out of the caucus for not being a team player.
“MPPs work constructively together, show up to work, and are committed to implementing the promises we made for the people. When we work as a team, we accomplish great things.”
In the letter allegedly sent out by Hillier, he stated that some of the PC party’s unhappiness with him had to do with not toeing the party line.
WATCH: Constituents in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston standing by suspended MPP Randy Hillier
“When I challenged the justification for suspension,” Hillier alleged in the letter, “backroom operatives provided me a laundry list of questionable and childish grievances, such as I don’t stand and clap for ministers enough, I wasn’t actively retweeting or sharing Facebook posts and I was putting my constituents first.”
According to Kramp, Ford had offered an olive branch to Hillier, something he expressed publically on March 13, a day before Hillier’s letter to his constituents leaked.
“He was disappointed,” wrote Kramp about Ford, “that in spite of this overture you continued to escalate the situation in public and in a way that demonstrates an ongoing unwillingness on your part to be a team player and to work constructively on finding a solution.”
— With files from Travis Dhanraj.