Liberal MPP concerned controversial stag was all-male affair

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a new Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park.

A Liberal MPP added a new twist to the controversy over a wedding fundraiser for the premier's daughter last summer: she is concerned that it was an all-male affair.

The Trillium's Charlie Pinkerton and Global News have reported that lobbyists and developers attended the premier's daughter's wedding festivities and an event described as a "stag-and-doe" that funded the wedding.

Opposition parties at Queen's Park have seized on the reporting to decry the relationship between Premier Doug Ford and developers who have benefited from government decisions and the ethics of the premier hosting an event that people with an interest in influencing the government paid his family to attend.

On Tuesday, Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter raised a different issue. 

"There were no women there at this event," she told the press at Queen's Park, attributing her information to "sources" who spoke with her. "It reflects poorly on the premier and his office."

The Trillium's sources aware of the event have described it as mostly male and referred to it as a "stag and doe," "stag" and a "bachelor party."

Hunter's comments baffled some members of the press gallery who asked her why it mattered.

She said it was a problem because it wasn't "an inclusive event of men and women celebrating a wedding," but rather "an all-male event."

Hunter explained to The Trillium on Wednesday that she's concerned about the exclusive nature of the event, both that it excluded women and included people with an interest in influencing the premier. 

"It was just a bit of a weird environment, in terms of getting that exclusive access — and it was a bunch of men — to the premier," she said.

The premier has said that tickets to the "stag" were $150, but also maintained that "no one can influence the Fords." 

In question period at Queen's Park, the NDP has been demanding to know if the premier or any of his staff were involved in putting together the guest list or sending out invitations.

Ford has not answered but told reporters asking similar questions that "the boys took care of that." CBC later reported that Ford was referring to his son-in-law and his friends.

"There is a smell around this issue and a cloud over this government," said NDP leader Marit Stiles during question period on Wednesday. "It goes without saying that when you’re the premier of a province you are held to a higher standard than the average father of the bride, especially when the guest list includes lobbyists and developers who have since received suspiciously favourable changes to the law."

She went on to ask again if anyone from his office was involved in creating the guest list for the stag.

The premier did not answer. Government House Leader Paul Calandra replied by giving information about unrelated government priorities.

— With files from Charlie Pinkerton