Premier steps down, prorogues legislature

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced in an emergency caucus meeting Monday he is stepping down but will remain on the job until a leadership convention can be held.

“After 16 years as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, and after nine years as premier, it’s time for renewal. It’s time for the next Liberal premier, it’s time for the next set of Liberal ideas to guide our province forward,” McGuinty said during a live television broadcast.

McGuinty also said he visited Lt.-Gov. David Onley earlier in the day, asking him to prorogue the legislature.

McGuinty blamed the suspension of the government on the opposition parties’ unwillingness to support the Liberals’ efforts to secure a public sector wage freeze. He said he wants to pursue discussions with labour groups, and the opposition, “in a way that is free of the heightened rancour that has sadly too frequently characterized our legislature of late.

“We’re going to continue to reach out to the opposition to see if we can determine precisely what they would need, by way of a legislative response, to ensure that we could through legislation put in place the necessary wage freeze.”

McGuinty has  asked the party to call a leadership convention as early as possible.

Earlier today, Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Todd Smith rose on a Point of Privilege pertaining to the ongoing scandal regarding the government’s handling of the cancelled power plants in Mississauga and Oakville.

In his seven page submission, Smith outlined an argument that the Government, including the Premier, Minister of Energy, Minister of Health and Government House Leader, had knowingly misled the House regarding the release of documents pertaining to the two cancelled power projects.

“There is very clear evidence that the government knew on September 27th that all the documents had not been included in the original submission,” Smith stated. “Still, government members including the premier and members of the cabinet insisted in October that all the documents had been released even though they had knowledge to the contrary.”

Misleading the House is one of the most severe breaches of parliamentary privilege and carries with it one of the highest burdens of proof, Smith said.

“I am of the belief that the government misled the House. The Premier’s Chief of Staff played a role in the cancellation of these plants and emails from him were not a part of the original submission. They were only disclosed last Friday. The Premier’s Office knew that it was directing Liberal members who spoke in the House to give misleading statements.”

As to the ministers responsible claiming that it was a bureaucratic problem at the heart of the matter, Smith had little sympathy. “Ministers of the Crown are only effective if the House believes they are telling the truth. The House can simply no longer believe that Minister Bentley, Minister Milloy or the premier are telling the truth when they speak in the Legislature.”