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Bonnie Crombie faces scrutiny from Ford in first visit to legislature

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Premier Doug Ford came out swinging Tuesday as Bonnie Crombie made her first visit to the Ontario legislature since being voted in as the leader of the Liberal Party.

Crombie made her way to the legislature to meet with her liberal caucus and speak with reporters following her win over the weekend.

Her visit wasn’t without scrutiny though. Premier Doug Ford was on the attack as he spoke of the new leader.

“The number one concern for their new leader is let’s raise a million dollars because someone has to pay for my salary. That’s what her number one issue was. That told me you picked the wrong leader.”

Ford accused Crombie of flying in a land developer’s jet and deemed that her wealth has put her out of touch.

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“Their leader was too busy flying around in the private jet of her buddy, the developer that everyone knows who this developer is and it’s gonna come back to haunt her, flying around in the private jet, going to her five million dollar estate in the Hamptons. She’s out of touch with the average worker,” continued Ford.

New York state land records show that Crombie and her husband own a house on Long Island, but she says she doesn’t know who the developer Ford is referring to is.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about and don’t think he knows what he’s talking about.”

Crombie went on to take a shot at Ford’s background with a father who was similarly in politics and built a family business.

“I have worked hard to achieve everything I have earned. Every single penny. I was not handed a political dynasty or a business that had been built up.”

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She also said that she won’t be paid as the Liberal leader until she officially leaves her current role as the mayor of Mississauga in the new year and that the pay will be that of a standard rate for a politician.

“I’m going to be spending my time and my energy reminding Ontario they deserve better than Doug Ford and this very shady, scandal-plagued government,” said Crombie.

“they are desperate and flailing and of course they want you to be talking about me.”
NDP leader Marit Stiles called the political squabbling outrageous.

“This is just disappointing. People in this province are struggling right now with an affordability crisis,” said Stiles.

Peter Graefe, a political science professor with McMaster University, says the addition of Crombie will make the Ontario political scene more interesting.

“It really raises a question of which party is going to be the main opposition to the Conservatives in the next provincial election,” said Graefe.