Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford does not support the death penalty, a spokesperson said in a statement Thursday night.
The statement was in response to a story by the Toronto Star, which reported that Ford said, “I send ‘em right to sparky” while talking about home invaders during his speech to the London Police Service’s gala on Jan. 29. The newspaper said it obtained a recording of the speech.
“The premier made a poor-taste joke out of frustration for the many people affected by violent criminals out on our streets because of the federal government’s broken bail system and soft-on-crime policies,” spokesperson Grace Lee said in the statement.
Ford has repeatedly called on Ottawa to amend the Criminal Code by implementing changes that will tighten bail rules.
“The premier does not support capital punishment but rather firmly believes more needs to be done to keep violent and repeat offenders behind bars where they belong,” Lee said.
The death penalty was abolished in Canada in 1976. Those convicted of serious criminal offences like murder get life imprisonment.
In a post on social media, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie described the report as “beyond disturbing.”
“We’re half way through this self-serving election, and instead of talking about health care, Doug Ford is pushing for the death penalty. Just like Trump. Once again he’s showing us who he really is,” she wrote in her post.
Ford’s comments come as the Ontario election campaign has reached its midway point.
According to the latest Nanos survey commissioned for CTV News, the PCs continue to have a significant lead over the three other political parties, with 45.5 per cent support among decided voters.
The Liberals have 29.5 per cent support, followed by the NDP with 16.9 per cent and the Green Party with 6.5 per cent.
