Ontario legislature descends into chaos amid Tory accusations of New Democrat mimicking PC MPP’s accent

Thestar.com
July 31, 2018
Robert Benzie

The premier and the finance minister are accusing an NDP MPP of mimicking a Progressive Conservative member’s Pakistani accent.

In an episode that derailed the Legislature’s daily question period, Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said they heard NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson “mocking” Tory MPP Kaleed Rasheed.

NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson attends question period at Queen's Park, in Toronto on July 31, 2018. The PC government refused to answer questions from the official opposition after having accused Bisson of mocking the accent of PC MPP Kaleed Rasheed.

Both Bisson and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath strongly denied the accusation, which plunged the proceedings into chaos Tuesday.

Horwath said Ford routinely “lies through his teeth” -- in this instance to deflect attention from the government’s controversial cuts to Toronto council.

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Speaker Ted Arnott, who recessed the House for five minutes to calm things down, did not hear the alleged slur, which was inaudible in the press gallery or on video.

Still, Government House Leader Todd Smith, who also admitted he didn’t catch anything untoward, said the Tories would refuse to answer any NDP questions until the official opposition apologized.

“It’s reprehensible that a member was treated in this way. We won’t stand for it. Unless we get some kind of apology … I wouldn’t expect that we’ll be answering any questions from the official opposition,” he said.

Fedeli said it is “not surprising” that the Speaker, other MPPs and journalists in the chamber missed the exchange.

“You can only hear if you’re in a reasonable distance,” said the finance minister, who sits beside the premier directly across from Horwath and Bisson -- about four metres away.

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It was the latest example of the state of decorum in the Legislature since the June 7 election when Ford’s Tories toppled former premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals.

Arnott has struggled to keep a lid on things with many overzealous MPPs still in campaign mode.

On Tuesday, Ford, who earlier had been taunting the NDP by saying they should hold a leadership review, shouted at Horwath that it was “disgusting” what was allegedly being said from her benches.

“He’s imitating him. It’s racist,” the premier heckled, before yelling in the direction of Brampton Centre New Democrat MPP Sara Singh.

“Do you enjoy your MPP imitating the Indian accent?” Ford thundered at Singh.

Rasheed (Mississauga East-Cooksville) arrived in Canada from Pakistan 14 years ago.

The rookie MPP, who was asking a government question about the Tories’ decision to scrap regional chair elections in Peel, York, Niagara, and Muskoka, said he could not make out any mimicry.

“I didn’t hear because I was asking a question,” said Rasheed, adding the situation is “very disappointing.”

Horwath blasted Ford, who later tweeted about the incident, for besmirching Bisson’s reputation with a “false accusation.”

“He did not in any way do what he’s accused of doing. I am disgusted with Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford lies through his teeth and he lied again today,” she said.

“He’s lying about the accusation he’s making about my House leader and I am disgusted by it. This government is trying to change the channel because they don’t want to answer our questions about the undemocratic way that they’re behaving.”

Bisson, who speaks with a Franco-Ontarian accent, was bewildered by the Tories’ claim.

Question Period: July 31, 2018
“I know what I said. I was heckling across as I always do. I was in the midst of saying ‘thank you for cancelling democracy’ and I got cut off by other heckles,” said the 28-year veteran Timmins MPP.

“I have never in my private life, in my public life, in my family life, with anybody else, made disparaging comments about anybody in regards to their accents or where they come from,” he said.

“You’ll have to decide what Mr. Ford is doing.”

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser blamed Ford and Horwath for the escalating misbehaviour in the House.

“The Speaker recessed question period because the premier and the leader of the opposition were screaming at each other,” said Fraser, adding that Ford “has a responsibility to set the tone in the Legislature.”

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said “the partisan heckling and political insults at Queen’s Park need to stop.”

“We were elected to serve the people of Ontario, not to engage in the kind of shouting match I just witnessed between the premier and the leader of the official opposition this morning,” said Schreiner.