October 13, 2005, Oshawa - Freedom Party of Ontario leader, Paul McKeever, says that Ontario opposition leader John Tory's handling of the Greg Sorbara matter exposes flaws in the judgment, class, and character of Mr. Tory.

"Mr. Tory has made it clear that he intends to campaign not on issues but on character", says McKeever, "but his blatant opportunism with respect to the Sorbara matter is exposing an ugly character streak; an ethical flaw that cannot be hidden by a pedigree and a pedicure.

"Former minister Sorbara has not been charged with anything as of yet, much less convicted.  It was appropriate for him to step down, but not by reason of a presumption of guilt.  The prudent and just thing for any fair-minded person observing these events is to demand answers but reserve judgment. 

"By blaming the Premier for not bouncing Mr. Sorbara, Mr. Tory is effectively representing to the public that Mr. Sorbara is guilty of a serious criminal offence.  Mr. Tory knows this.  He knows the negative effect that his strategy is having on Mr. Sorbara's personal reputation and he knows that his own conduct is entirely prejudicial.  What I find unsettling is that Mr. Tory clearly does not care about the impact of his strategy. 

"By going so far as to bring a motion of no confidence, knowing that it will fail, Mr. Tory is communicating tomes about his ethical code.  In effect, he is demonstrating that he believes it is morally right to obtain some short-term political gain by implying serious allegations of criminal conduct that may very well be false.  If this is Mr. Tory's idea of decorum; of taking the high ground; of being more civil than the average MPP; I think that his plan to win the next election on a battle of character is already a failure.  It is certainly an ethical failure.

"This is not a one-off for Mr. Tory.  I have not forgotten that this is the same John Tory who, as Kim Campbell's campaign director in 1993, apparently thought it was morally acceptable to run an election commercial that made fun of Jean Chretien's facial disfigurement. I think what we are beginning to see a pattern here.  We are getting a glimpse behind Mr. Tory's veneer of family compact respectibility and seeing an ugly case of low class in Gucci shoes."