After holding an emergency press conference at 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday night to address sexual misconduct allegations, now former-Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Leader Patrick Brown barrage of questions from reporters, a slew of campaign staff resigning and caucus members calling for his resignation. By 1:30 a formal statement from PC Leader Patrick Brown was released.
https://twitter.com/OntarioPCParty/status/956412446343806976
“These allegations are false and have been difficult to hear.
“However, defeating Kathleen Wynne in 2018 is more important than one individual.
“For this reason, after consulting with caucus, friends and family I have decided to step down as Leader of the Ontario PC Party. I will remain on as a MPP while I definitively clear my name from these false allegations.
“Over the past three years I have led a major transformation of our party taking it from 12,000 to 200,000 members, fundraised more money than any provincial party in Canadian history, and recruited some of the most qualified and diverse candidates in the history of our party. I have developed a pragmatic and winning campaign platform after a historically comprehensive policy process.
“These important building blocks are essential for defeating Kathleen Wynne this year and her tired government that has repeatedly made reckless decisions and put insiders ahead of the people.
“I’m confident the president of our party and caucus will convene an expedited process to elect my successor who I look forward to working with.”
https://twitter.com/blissblogs/status/956405126293487616
https://twitter.com/JAW_80/status/956379524681252864
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne also commented on Twitter without mentioning Brown by name and also plugging her government ads.
Political analysts scrambling to look at the Ontario PC constitution were unsure if the PCs will now have to run an interim leader or will be able to elect another leader of the party in time for the June 7 election.
Raving Canuck 