Glenn Thibeault was so unhappy with Tom Mulcair and his leadership of the NDP in 2014, he was considering quitting, Thibeault testified Tuesday.
Thibeault, now Sudbury MPP and Ontario's energy minister, said he and his wife had discussed his future in the months leading up to November 2014, when Joe Cimino suddenly resigned his NDP seat in Sudbury.
He was testifying at the trial of Pat Sorbara, Premier Kathleen Wynne's former deputy chief of staff and Liberal campaign director, and Gerry Lougheed Jr., a local Liberal organizer. Both have pleaded not guilty to offering would-be candidate Andrew Olivier a job or appointment to get him to step aside for Wynne's preferred candidate in a 2015 byelection.
Once he heard about Cimino's resignation, he contacted LU president Dominic Giroux, in whom he had confided months earlier that he was unhappy with the federal NDP.
"He asked me if I was considering running, and if I was considering running for the NDP or the Liberals,” Thibeault testified.
But he wasn't yet sure.
“I was very disenfranchised with where I was at,” Thibeault said, but knew there would be a big reaction if he made the switch.
Thibeault said he didn't ask Giroux to speak with the Liberals on his behalf, but knew he might because he had many connections with the party.
And he expected to hear from Lougheed, who had over the years been trying to get him to switch parties in light-hearted conversations.
When they spoke, Thibeault told Lougheed he was 30-70 against running for the Liberals, but was open to discussions.
Lougheed arranged for him to speak with Sorbara.
Thibeault’s testimony continues this afternoon.
