Chorus of voices raise questions about Brown’s fitness to run as Tory leader

Ontario’s Tories have been scrambling ever since Brown’s abrupt resignation in January amid sexual misconduct allegations triggered a leadership race. Brown launched a bid to reclaim his post last week, saying he’d been urged on by support from grassroots members.

But one of his competitors called Thursday for Brown to bow out, saying the leadership contest, which comes months before a spring election, was not the place for Brown to clear his name.

“This is a leadership race for the future of our party and Patrick Brown needs to step aside,” Caroline Mulroney said in a statement. “He needs to put the party above himself.”

Mulroney, a Toronto lawyer and daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, called on her fellow competitors — former legislator Christine Elliott, former Toronto city councillor Doug Ford and parental rights advocate Tanya Granic Allen — to join her call for Brown to drop out.

Granic Allen said in a statement Thursday evening that she didn’t think it was appropriate for Brown to be a Tory candidate.

“(Brown) has made a travesty of democracy, corrupting our party’s constitutional policy resolution process in order to make it his way or the highway for party members who stood up to him and his pals, cronies and thugs, on principle,” she said.

Elliott issued a statement calling for party unity, saying her focus was on winning the leadership and defeating the governing Liberals in the general election.

But Tory legislator Todd Smith, who is co-chair of Elliott’s campaign, said he thought Brown has made a mistake jumping into the race.

“Given all of the allegations that are out there now, I’ll be honest, I was a bit surprised that the branch of the executive made the decision yesterday to allow (Brown) into the race,” he said. “However, I think the membership is going to be the judge and jury here.”

Smith said he doesn’t think Brown will win the race because “there’s been too much damage” to his reputation.

Since resigning as leader in January, Brown has been accused of exaggerating membership numbers after an internal audit found the party has about 67,000 fewer members than the 200,000 Brown had previously taken credit for.

He has also been dogged by accusations of mismanagement and corruption, which have led one Tory legislator, Randy Hillier, to file a complaint with Ontario’s integrity commissioner. Hillier alleged Brown “engaged in dirty and crooked politics,” and asked the commissioner to investigate the former leader’s travel and finances.

Brown responded to Hillier’s allegations Thursday, sharing a copy on social media of a two-page letter to the integrity commissioner that called the accusations “entirely fictional” and a “crass attempt to spin the legal as illegal.”

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Hillier, a legislator who claims to represent hard-working taxpayers, has opted to usurp the resources of a taxpayer-funded institution such as the Office of the Integrity Commissioner to fight an internal party leadership race,” Brown wrote.

Meanwhile, the Liberals called Brown’s participation in the leadership race “troubling,” adding that it reflects poorly on politicians of all stripes in the province.

“It says a lot about the party that they would turn their back on the women who have come forward with very serious allegations,” Liberal campaign co-chair Deb Matthews said of the sexual misconduct allegations Brown faces. “Let’s be clear, Patrick Brown has not cleared his name. Those allegations remain.”

The allegations from two women, reported by CTV News, have not been verified by The Canadian Press.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the Tories are focused inward and it reflects poorly on the party as a whole.

“They are not showing themselves to be ready to govern,” she said. “They’re not fit to govern their own party by the looks of things. Certainly, they won’t be able to govern here in Ontario.”

Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives will begin voting for their next leader online on March 2. The winner of the race will be announced March. 10.

Shawn Jeffords , The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Chorus of voices raise questions about Brown’s fitness to run as Tory leader

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