TORONTO - Ontario's deputy premier says she is "absolutely convinced" the Liberals did nothing criminal leading up to a recent byelection — but she also says she hasn't listened to audio recordings central to the allegations.
The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating allegations that Liberal officials offered their Sudbury, Ont., candidate from the June election a job or appointment late last year in exchange for not running in last week's byelection.
Premier Kathleen Wynne appointed former NDP MP Glenn Thibeault, who won the byelection Thursday, instead of holding a nomination.
The spurned would-be candidate, Andrew Olivier, is quadriplegic and records many conversations because he can't take notes, so he has put the audio of his talks with two Liberals — including the premier's deputy chief of staff — online, saying they back up his claims.
Deputy Premier Deb Matthews says she hasn't listened to the audio herself, but nonetheless says she is confident the allegations are false.
Matthews says the Liberals' byelection win shows that the people of Sudbury decided that the party's "positive message" outweighed the "negative message that the other parties were using."
