"You Are The Past Candidate, Not The Current Candidate Yet," Lougheed/Sorbara Trial Starts With A Bang

Day one is complete in the Gerry Lougheed and Pat Sorbara trial but it was all Andrew Olivier.

Both Lougheed and Sorbara entered pleas of non guilty to Election Act charges against them for allegedly offering Olivier a job or appointment to get him to step aside for Premier Kathleen Wynne’s preferred candidate.

The big focus for the defence team was the use of the word candidate, saying Crown’s allegations wrongly use the term “candidate” interchangeably with “party nominee” and only candidacy processes are governed by the Election Act.

That was supported by the first audio presented…a recording between Olivier and Sorbara right after Sudbury MPP Joe Cimino stepped down.

Olivier will be on the stand once again tomorrow when trial resumes.

He is one of 17 witnesses that will testify, which includes Premier Kathleen Wynne.

The court also heard that former N-D-P M-P Glenn Thibeault asked for paid jobs for constituency office staffers in exchange for running for the Liberals in a provincial byelection.

Federal prosecutor David McKercher said in his opening statement that Thibeault also wanted full support of the Ontario Liberals.

Thibeault — who is not charged — has previously denied he sought anything that would be seen as a bribe in exchange for running.