Peter Tabuns MPP, Toronto-Danforth

QUEEN’S PARK — Ottawa NDP MPPs Joel Harden and Chandra Pasma issued the following response to news that Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones have been summoned to testify at the Emergencies Act inquiry:
 
“Learning that Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones turned down a request to voluntarily testify at the Emergencies Act inquiry just adds insult to injury for the people of Ottawa. We were already outraged that Mr. Ford’s government turned its back on us during  a weeks-long siege by convoy occupiers. Now Mr. Ford’s flimsy excuse for not testifying has been exposed as totally false.
 
What does Mr. Ford’s government have to hide? Ford and Jones need to stop resisting summons to testify at the Emergencies Act inquiry and start providing answers to questions like:
 
·  If Ford and his ministers had taken seriously requests from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, the Ontario NDP and others, would the occupation have gone on so long?
·  Could the occupation have been stopped before the Emergencies Act became necessary?
·  Why didn’t the Ministry of Transportation revoke commercial vehicle operator licenses when it was asked to? It had used this power previously.
·  Why didn’t Ford and Jones agree to participate in a tripartite meeting?
·  Where did the number of OPP officers Jones claimed the province sent come from?
 
Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney should testify too, to address why her ministry didn’t take action sooner to revoke occupiers’ commercial vehicle licenses.”