Opposition Leader Marit Stiles is doubling down on her assertion that the Ford government is “corrupt” after her original comments got her ejected from the legislature at Queen’s Park Wednesday
“Goddamn right they’re corrupt,” Stiles posted to her account on X Wednesday afternoon, including a video of the remarks that got her kicked out of the chamber earlier in the day.
It happened during a heated exchange over the Skills Development Fund with Labour Minister David Piccini. Stiles referenced donors and lobbyists connected to the government and “the endless grift of an anti-democratic and yes, corrupt government.”
House Speaker Donna Skelly then asked her to withdraw her remarks for unparliamentary language, but Stiles refused. Skelly warned Stiles, who would not relent and was then asked to leave the chamber.
She was then escorted out of the chamber, to applause from the opposition.
It should be noted that no quid-pro-quo has been proven and no charges have been laid in connection with the skills fund to date, though a forensic audit of one of the fund’s recipients has been referred to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
The government set up the $1.5 billion Skills Development Fund to retrain workers for in-demand professions, and added another $1 billion to the fund this year as part of its plan to bolster Ontario’s economy in the face of U.S. tariffs.
However a report from Ontario’s auditor general found the process for obtaining money through the fund was not fair, transparent or accountable. Despite receiving lower scores than other applicants, some companies were hand-picked by Labour Minister David Piccini’s office to proceed, the auditor found.
A CTV News analysis found many of those winning applicants had ties to lobbyists connected to Premier Doug Ford’s office.
Piccini has for weeks faced calls to resign or to be fired by Premier Doug Ford over the ordeal. However Ford has continued to defend Piccini and the fund.
Speaking with reporters after she was ejected, Stiles said she hadn’t planned on getting booted from the chamber, but she’s “fed up” with not having her questions answered and felt she had to speak her mind.
“I just think that sometimes, you know, you have to call it what it is,” Stiles said.
She reiterated to reporters that she believes the government is corrupt and said she’s not concerned about possible legal ramifications for saying so.
“I’ll say it again. If Doug Ford wants to sue me, bring it on. I welcome the discovery process. I’d love to learn more about what happened with the Skills Development Fund and the Green Belt and all of it,” Stiles said.
Ford’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Stiles’ remarks.
