(Queen’s Park) – Dalton McGuinty today defended Monte Kwinter and the comments he made yesterday regarding the highly-publicized shooting death by police of a 26-year-old Scarborough man. Kwinter told the media that the life of this man would probably have been spared if the police had instead used a taser.

Garfield Dunlop, P.C. Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services, said today in the Ontario legislature that Kwinter’s comments jeopardize both the investigation currently being conducted into the man’s death by the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), as well as a potential civil suit by the man’s family.

During Question Period in the Ontario legislature today, Dunlop asked the Premier if he would seek Kwinter’s resignation:

“Premier, back in 1998, you asked for Bob Runciman’s resignation when the name of the mother of a young offender was mentioned in a throne speech. The mother had even consented to her name being used.

Here’s what you said about this, Premier, in the Ottawa Citizen on April 25, 1998: ‘This has turned from a question of competence to a question of integrity.’

Premier, Bob Runciman did the honourable thing and stepped aside until his name was cleared.

So Premier, in light of the fact that Minister Kwinter has commented on a case that is before the province’s SIU, will you ask Minister Kwinter to do the honourable thing and resign?”

“This is a serious matter and I’m disappointed that the Premier immediately dismissed the thought of even considering Kwinter’s resignation,” said Dunlop.

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)