Liberal campaign official apologizes for calling Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford 'a dick'
Canadian Press
More from Canadian Press
Published:
April 20, 2018
Updated:
April 20, 2018 8:44 PM EDT
PC leader Doug Ford (left) and Premier Kathleen Wynne. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
CHATHAM, Ont. — A senior campaign official for the Ontario Liberals is apologizing for a crude comment he made on live television about Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford.
David Herle, the campaign co-chair for Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, issued a statement this evening saying he regrets the comment and he apologizes “without qualification.”
Herle appeared on a panel discussion on Toronto TV station CP24 earlier in the day, where he compared Ford to his late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Herle said, “I think people liked Rob Ford and I think people think Doug Ford’s a bit of a dick, to be honest.”
Wynne, who’s fighting for re-election this spring, said earlier this evening that Herle should apologize but he would stay on in his position.
Doug Ford was set to respond to the comments at a campaign event in Chatham, Ont., later in the evening.
Ontarians go to the polls on June 7.
**********
STATEMENT FROM ONTARIO PC LEADER DOUG FORD
I wanted to address the inappropriate comments that Kathleen Wynne’s Campaign Chair made about me today.
I always say that I have thick skin. I have been called names before, but what bothers me the most is that he is insulting the people of Ontario that want to move this province forward. He is insulting my supporters which consist of PC, Liberal and NDP supporters.
We knew this was going to be a dirty campaign, but I’m going to take the high road.
This whole campaign, I haven’t done any name calling. I will hold Kathleen Wynne accountable for her record, but we are going to move forward on this campaign in a positive fashion.
She wants to distract from her record, but I am going to continue speaking about what people care about in Ontario: lowering taxes, making sure we reduce hydro rates, getting rid of the carbon tax, and creating great paying jobs.
That’s what we are going to focus on, what the people need to move this province forward.
Liberal campaign official apologizes for calling Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford ‘a dick’ | Toronto Sun
WALLACE: Potty mouth Liberal can't resist calling Ford 'a bit of a dick'
James Wallace
More from James Wallace
Published:
April 20, 2018
Updated:
April 20, 2018 10:02 PM EDT
Ontario PC leader Doug Ford addresses supporters at a campaign rally at La Roya Banquet Hall in Ajax, Ont. on Wednesday April 18, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
For anyone who hasn’t figured out Kathleen Wynne’s campaign strategy, it’s this simple – fear and smear.
Whip up fear Ford doesn’t care about average people. That he’ll give “polluters a free pass.” Misrepresent his campaign promises. Heck, makes things up out of whole cloth. Say he’ll cut 40,000 nurses and teachers, base that ridiculous speculation from a university professor, but put that in your attack ad anyway.
Compare him to Donald Trump. Call him a “bully.” Say he “traffics in smears and lies.”
Even call him a “dick.”
That’s what Wynne’s campaign co-chair, David Herle, said Friday during a TV panel discussion on CP24.
Herle was asked about the popularity of Rob Ford, the late mayor and Doug Ford’s brother, and whether Herle thought people liked and trusted Doug.
“No, I think people liked Rob Ford, and I think people think Doug Ford’s a bit of a dick, to be honest,” he said.
Ford, for his part, didn’t rise to the bait. He called the comment “inappropriate” said he has a “thick skin,” knew this was “going to be a dirty campaign” but plans to hold Wynne accountable for her record.
Herle, a key Liberal strategist and owner of the Gandalf Group, later said in a statement he regretted using the term and apologized “without qualification.”
Though even then he couldn’t resist hurling a back-handed smear at Ford, suggesting the Ontario PC leader “has a long history of using derogatory and insulting terms to refer to a wide range of people with whom he disagrees.”
Although Wynne said the comment wasn’t an “appropriate choice of words,” she has no plans to discipline or turf Herle from her campaign, and fair enough.
Things get heated in political campaigns.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announces cuts to hydro rates on average of 25 per cent during a press conference in Toronto, Ont. on Thursday March 2, 2017. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
But demonizing Ford is about the only card the Liberals have left to play.
It’s difficult to campaign on sound fiscal management when you’ve doubled spending, drove up debt 125% to more than $300 million, and just weeks before the election watched Moody’s debt-rating agency downgrade Ontario’s financial outlook to “negative” from “stable” because you plan to run six more years of deficits.
It’s difficult to defend a track record of scandal, police investigations, a gas plant cover-up conviction against a former premier’s office chief of staff, numerous auditor and watchdog reports accusing you of wasting billions and cooking the books, outrageously high electricity and auto insurance rates, and a current premier who’s the most unpopular leader in the country.
Not to mention the province is in a mess, especially health care, which is in crisis and plagued by bed shortages, wait times and conflict between the province and doctors, nurses and hospitals.
All of this explains why Wynne has been desperately trying to buy votes with the public’s own money – free tuition, free prescription meds, hydro rate cuts.
She’s trailing badly in the polls, the public overwhelmingly wants a change in government and she’s backed into a corner.
Plus the thought of handing over control of $150 billion annually in government spending to someone who doesn’t share your far-left ideology, who thinks running the province on a credit card is a bad idea, that government should respect the dollars it collects from taxpayers and use them as efficiently as possible to provide services people need, not services you think they should have, well, that must just rankle.
Hence the Trump card. Hence the “dick” comment.
Almost sounds like bullying, and certainly isn’t the type of thing a tolerant, progressive Liberal ought to say.
On the other hand, given the staggering mismanagement of Ontario’s finances, health care and other public services, “a bit of a dick” is exactly what this province needs.
jawallace@postmedia.com
WALLACE: Potty mouth Liberal can’t resist calling Ford ‘a bit of a dick’ | Toronto Sun
Canadian Press
More from Canadian Press
Published:
April 20, 2018
Updated:
April 20, 2018 8:44 PM EDT
PC leader Doug Ford (left) and Premier Kathleen Wynne. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
CHATHAM, Ont. — A senior campaign official for the Ontario Liberals is apologizing for a crude comment he made on live television about Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford.
David Herle, the campaign co-chair for Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, issued a statement this evening saying he regrets the comment and he apologizes “without qualification.”
Herle appeared on a panel discussion on Toronto TV station CP24 earlier in the day, where he compared Ford to his late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Herle said, “I think people liked Rob Ford and I think people think Doug Ford’s a bit of a dick, to be honest.”
Wynne, who’s fighting for re-election this spring, said earlier this evening that Herle should apologize but he would stay on in his position.
Doug Ford was set to respond to the comments at a campaign event in Chatham, Ont., later in the evening.
Ontarians go to the polls on June 7.
**********
STATEMENT FROM ONTARIO PC LEADER DOUG FORD
I wanted to address the inappropriate comments that Kathleen Wynne’s Campaign Chair made about me today.
I always say that I have thick skin. I have been called names before, but what bothers me the most is that he is insulting the people of Ontario that want to move this province forward. He is insulting my supporters which consist of PC, Liberal and NDP supporters.
We knew this was going to be a dirty campaign, but I’m going to take the high road.
This whole campaign, I haven’t done any name calling. I will hold Kathleen Wynne accountable for her record, but we are going to move forward on this campaign in a positive fashion.
She wants to distract from her record, but I am going to continue speaking about what people care about in Ontario: lowering taxes, making sure we reduce hydro rates, getting rid of the carbon tax, and creating great paying jobs.
That’s what we are going to focus on, what the people need to move this province forward.
Liberal campaign official apologizes for calling Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford ‘a dick’ | Toronto Sun
WALLACE: Potty mouth Liberal can't resist calling Ford 'a bit of a dick'
James Wallace
More from James Wallace
Published:
April 20, 2018
Updated:
April 20, 2018 10:02 PM EDT
Ontario PC leader Doug Ford addresses supporters at a campaign rally at La Roya Banquet Hall in Ajax, Ont. on Wednesday April 18, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
For anyone who hasn’t figured out Kathleen Wynne’s campaign strategy, it’s this simple – fear and smear.
Whip up fear Ford doesn’t care about average people. That he’ll give “polluters a free pass.” Misrepresent his campaign promises. Heck, makes things up out of whole cloth. Say he’ll cut 40,000 nurses and teachers, base that ridiculous speculation from a university professor, but put that in your attack ad anyway.
Compare him to Donald Trump. Call him a “bully.” Say he “traffics in smears and lies.”
Even call him a “dick.”
That’s what Wynne’s campaign co-chair, David Herle, said Friday during a TV panel discussion on CP24.
Herle was asked about the popularity of Rob Ford, the late mayor and Doug Ford’s brother, and whether Herle thought people liked and trusted Doug.
“No, I think people liked Rob Ford, and I think people think Doug Ford’s a bit of a dick, to be honest,” he said.
Ford, for his part, didn’t rise to the bait. He called the comment “inappropriate” said he has a “thick skin,” knew this was “going to be a dirty campaign” but plans to hold Wynne accountable for her record.
Herle, a key Liberal strategist and owner of the Gandalf Group, later said in a statement he regretted using the term and apologized “without qualification.”
Though even then he couldn’t resist hurling a back-handed smear at Ford, suggesting the Ontario PC leader “has a long history of using derogatory and insulting terms to refer to a wide range of people with whom he disagrees.”
Although Wynne said the comment wasn’t an “appropriate choice of words,” she has no plans to discipline or turf Herle from her campaign, and fair enough.
Things get heated in political campaigns.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announces cuts to hydro rates on average of 25 per cent during a press conference in Toronto, Ont. on Thursday March 2, 2017. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
But demonizing Ford is about the only card the Liberals have left to play.
It’s difficult to campaign on sound fiscal management when you’ve doubled spending, drove up debt 125% to more than $300 million, and just weeks before the election watched Moody’s debt-rating agency downgrade Ontario’s financial outlook to “negative” from “stable” because you plan to run six more years of deficits.
It’s difficult to defend a track record of scandal, police investigations, a gas plant cover-up conviction against a former premier’s office chief of staff, numerous auditor and watchdog reports accusing you of wasting billions and cooking the books, outrageously high electricity and auto insurance rates, and a current premier who’s the most unpopular leader in the country.
Not to mention the province is in a mess, especially health care, which is in crisis and plagued by bed shortages, wait times and conflict between the province and doctors, nurses and hospitals.
All of this explains why Wynne has been desperately trying to buy votes with the public’s own money – free tuition, free prescription meds, hydro rate cuts.
She’s trailing badly in the polls, the public overwhelmingly wants a change in government and she’s backed into a corner.
Plus the thought of handing over control of $150 billion annually in government spending to someone who doesn’t share your far-left ideology, who thinks running the province on a credit card is a bad idea, that government should respect the dollars it collects from taxpayers and use them as efficiently as possible to provide services people need, not services you think they should have, well, that must just rankle.
Hence the Trump card. Hence the “dick” comment.
Almost sounds like bullying, and certainly isn’t the type of thing a tolerant, progressive Liberal ought to say.
On the other hand, given the staggering mismanagement of Ontario’s finances, health care and other public services, “a bit of a dick” is exactly what this province needs.
jawallace@postmedia.com
WALLACE: Potty mouth Liberal can’t resist calling Ford ‘a bit of a dick’ | Toronto Sun
I thought they were all dicks?
