Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has been accused of pushing Progressive Conservative MPP Donna Skelly during a heated confrontation inside the legislature on Tuesday.
Skelly said she was speaking with a colleague on her party’s side of the house when Horwath crossed the floor and approached her in an “inappropriate” manner.
“Andrea Horwath crossed the floor and came up to me yelling and screaming and pushed me,” Skelly told reporters. “She actually pushed me. She put her hands on me.”
The alleged incident took place during an opposition day debate, when the Official Opposition receives control of the agenda.
While Horwath was advocating for a new hospital in Brampton, she was interrupted by acting speaker Percy Hatfield. Hatfield asked Skelly to sit down as she was blocking one of the cameras inside the legislature.
“You know what you’re doing and please don’t do it again,” Hatfield said to Skelly.
Skelly said she was helping a colleague of hers, who recently had knee surgery, to his seat. At the time, Skelly said she may have obstructed the view of a camera.
A vote was then held in the legislature, which could not be seen on video and was not recorded in the official transcript.
Minister of Energy Greg Rickford said, at this point, Horwath “stormed over” and made a “physical movement” to Skelly’s shoulder.
Skelly said she was not physically harmed during the alleged incident.
Horwath admits to crossing the floor and going over to Skelly to have a conversation. However, Horwath denies pushing Skelly and said she tapped her on the shoulder.
“I’ve known this woman for 20 years,” Horwath said. “(I was) going to have a discussion with her and she went ballistic.”
In response to Horwath’s denial, Skelly called the NDP Leader an “angry woman” who needs anger management training.
