(Toronto) Ontario’s Liberal leader calls New Democrat allegations targeting some of his party’s candidacies “desperate tactics,” a move he says will only help the Progressive Conservatives’ re-election efforts.
Posted at 2:06 p.m.
Steven Del Duca declined Wednesday to comment on allegations raised by the New Democratic Party (NDP) that the Liberal candidate in Chatham-Kent-Leamington was fraudulently registered for the June 2 election.
Del Duca has indicated he will not engage in such bickering over nominations yet with the NDP, which has already drawn criticism over other Liberal candidates dropped by the party before the deadline for reporting nominations. applications, on May 12.
New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath says the nomination questions are serious and Del Duca should answer on the merits, rather than playing the personal attack card.
Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford on Wednesday endorsed one of his candidates who, according to a report, was involved with organizations that published homophobic views. Mr. Ford, who was in an NDP riding in Hamilton on Wednesday, pleaded that Will Bouma did not write the articles in question.
The revelations about the candidates and the escalation of tensions between the Liberals and the NDP come at the midpoint of the election campaign in Ontario.
Mme Horwath declined to comment on Wednesday when asked if now is the time for progressive parties in Ontario to adopt a more unified strategy to stand in the way of the Conservatives. She maintained that she was still campaigning to form a majority government at Queen’s Park and that the NDP offered Ontario voters the best vehicle to oust the Tories.