Ontario Legislature orders MPP Randy Hillier to apologize for disreputable conduct
In a motion approved by all parties in the Ontario Legislature, Independent Member of Provincial Parliament Randy Hillier will be required to apologize for his disreputable conduct before he can be recognized by the Legislature. Hillier, the representative for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, has been an Independent MPP since being kicked out of the Ontario PC caucus in March of 2019 for disrespectful comments towards parents of autistic children.
The full text of the motion reads as follows:
“That this House expresses its disapproval of, and dissociates itself from, continued disreputable conduct by the Member for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, most specifically his use of social media to make racist and discriminatory statements about a federal Cabinet Minister and for publishing social media posts insinuating a call to violence; and
That this House demands the Member for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston make written apologies for his behavior to the Hon. Omar Alghabra, PC, MP and to this House, by way of the Speaker, and publish his written apologies and desist from further conduct that is inappropriate and unbecoming of a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; and
That the Speaker is authorized to not recognize the Member for Lanark-Frontenac Kingston in the House until the Speaker has received copies of the Member’s written apologies and is satisfied of their sincerity.”
Hillier’s activities and social media posts have frequently landed him in hot water.
In April of 2021, Hillier was charged by police for failure to comply with the Reopening Ontario Act, after he attended an Aylmer, Ontario church service in which public safety protocols were not being followed.
In November of the same year, Hillier apologized for a social media post in which he used the names and photos of people who had died, falsely stating that they had passed due to the COVID-19 vaccine.
In late January of 2022, Hillier called Canada’s Minister of Transportation, Omar Alghabra, a “terrorist.”
Shortly after, in the same month, Hillier made a series of social media posts falsely blaming “domestic terrorism” and “shorting (of) the food supply” for an empty meat cooler at the Smiths Falls Walmart. The Walmart store confirmed that the empty coolers were merely a result of malfunctioning equipment, not supply chain issues.
And in February of 2022, at the height of the occupation in Ottawa, Hillier encouraged followers on social media to tie up 911 phone lines as a means to protest police actions, leading to the hashtag #ArrestHillier trending on Twitter. In an interview with CBC on Tuesday, prominent Ottawa lawyer Michael Spratt said that Hillier “should be prepared to soon hear from police” because of these comments.
Am I understanding this correctly? A public figure incites illegal behavior like flooding emergency numbers and all he has to do is offer a mere apology? How is that not considered criminal behavior? I would like to hear some kind of explanation that makes sense
I agree.