Conservative MP Jamil Jivani unloads on Doug Ford: 'Couldn't stay out of our business'

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OTTAWA — Some of the biggest election night fireworks happened on live television.

During an interview as part of CBC’s election coverage, newly reelected Bowmanville-Oshawa North MP Jamil Jivani accused Ontario Premier Doug Ford of sabotaging the federal Conservative campaign after his comments critical of the Conservatives triggered headlines and grumbling from the federal Tories.

Jivani told CBC News reporter David Common that while he takes exception with how Ford is running Ontario, he’s respected boundaries and kept his mouth shut.

“When it was our turn to run the election, (Ford) couldn’t stay out of our business — always getting his criticisms, all his opinions out, distracting our campaign, trying to make it about him, trying to position himself as some political genius that we need to be taking cues from, ” Jivani said.

“I see Doug Ford as a problem for Ontario and for Canada.”

Kory Teneycke, who served as Ford’s campaign manager, said that Ford would have performed better than federal Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre — who, though he lost his own seat, saw his party make significant gains from previous elections.

When asked about Teneycke’s comments earlier this month, Ford said the truth sometimes hurts.

“If Kory was running that campaign, I don’t think Mr. Poilievre would be in the position he’s in right now,” Ford said.

Jivani said Ford isn’t doing a good job running Ontario, and is preoccupied with exerting his influence across all levels of Canadian government.

“I’m speaking from experience, I tried to fix problems in this province and he kept getting in his way, with all his goons around him all the time,” Jivani continued.

“This guy’s a political genius because he beat (Ontario Liberal Leader) Bonnie Crombie and (former Liberal Leader) Steven Del Duca, and now we’ve got to sit around getting advice from him?”

Jivani said Ford turned the Ontario Tories “into something hollow,” and accused the premier of “glad-handing Chrystia Freeland” and “having coffees and lattes with Mark Carney.”

A statement issued Tuesday morning from Ford’s office made no mention of Jivani’s remarks, but congratulated Carney for his election win, calling on the prime minister to fulfill commitments to expedite resource development projects.

“Ontario also stands ready to work with the federal government and other provinces and territories to tear down internal trade barriers and promote economic integration across Canada,” the statement read.

“To that end, I am calling on Prime Minister Carney to join us in supporting new nation-building infrastructure, including pipelines, highways, railways, seaports and airports, to help Canadian goods reach new customers in new markets while binding our country together and reducing our reliance on the United States.”

Ford didn’t address Jivani’s comments when asked about them on Tuesday.

“I’m focusing on unity right across this country,” Ford said.

“We have to bring this country together like we’ve never had before. Each other are not the enemies. There’s one person that’s causing a real problem, not just here (but) around the world, and that’s President Trump.”

— With files from the Canadian Press

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