

Donna Skelly accuses Andrea Horwath of pushing her, says NDP leader needs anger management

Horwath denies accosting the PC MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook and claims it was Skelly who "went ballistic" when she tapped her on the shoulder.

Skelly stood up during question period Wednesday and laid out her complaint before asking House Speaker Ted Arnott to determine whether Horwath breached privilege.

I am absolutely saying that this is not true.- Andrea Horwath, NDP leaderSpeaking with reporters afterward, the MPP said she was speaking with some colleagues when Horwath crossed the floor "yelling, screaming and pushed me."

She added there is no photo or video evidence, but said plenty of people witnessed the incident and the clerk escorting the NDP leader back to her chair.

PC MPP Donna Skelly claims Andrea Horwath pushed her, but the NDP leader says it was just a tap and "this is silliness." 0:59Skelly said she was not physically harmed and is not intimidated by Horwath, but added she believes no one should feel threatened at work.

"I think (Horwath) needs to probably consider some anger management. She's clearly an angry woman when you see her across the hall."

Horwath laughed when reporters asked her about Skelly's accusation and said she was never escorted away by the clerk.

"I am absolutely saying that this is not true, this is not what happened," said Horwath. "I simply tapped the woman on the shoulder."

She refused to answer when reporters asked how hard she tapped her, instead describing the government's focus on the incident as "hyper-partisan nastiness" and a diversion.

As for Skelly's advice of seeking anger management help, Horwath had a suggestion of her own.

The​ NDP says the incident was sparked by PC MPPs who were intentionally blocking a legislature camera that was recording Horwath speaking.

Energy Minister Greg Rickford said he witnessed Horwath storming over with a "red face" and that she made contact with Skelly's shoulder in a manner he would consider a push.

"Tempers flare, people make accusations … but there's got to be a bright line … it's not acceptable to make a member feel physical intimidation is part of how we conduct ourselves."

In response to Skelly, opposition house leader Gilles Bisson called the alleged attempts to block the camera "absolutely inappropriate, disrespectful and beneath the dignity of this house.

"This point of order has no merits, so let's move on to the important issues that are facing Ontario families," he added.

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Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath speaks to reporters at Queens Park, in Toronto on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsaro)

A Progressive Conservative MPP is accusing NDP Leader Andrea Horwath of pushing her while inside the Ontario Legislature, during a heated confrontation on Tuesday.

Donna Skelly claims Horwath put her hands on and pushed Skellys shoulder as she was having a discussion with a government colleague.

Andrea Horwath crossed the floor, came up to me yelling and screaming and pushed me, Skelly told reporters.

Skelly says while she was not physically harmed she was stunned by the alleged behaviour of the NDP leader, calling it inappropriate.

Horwath denies the incident, saying she was simply going over to tap a colleague on the shoulder.

Ive known this woman for 20 years, Horwath told a crush of media, claiming any assertion that she pushed Skelly is untrue.

The exchange began during an Opposition Day debate, when the Official Opposition is given control of the agenda.

Horwath was advocating for a new hospital in Brampton when she was suddenly interrupted by the acting speaker, Percy Hatfield.

Will you please sit down? Hatfield told Skelly. Youre blocking the camera. You know what youre doing. And please dont do it again.

Skelly says she was simply helping a colleague who recently had knee surgery to his seat and in doing so may have obstructed a view of a legislative camera. Video broadcast during the incident showed a paper briefly being waved in front of a camera trained on Horwath.

How disgraceful! Horwath charged. Is that what we do around here? Get into the mud in that regard? Shameful, shameful, shameful.

What happened next was neither captured on video nor recorded in the official transcript kept by the legislature.

Energy Minister Greg Rickford, who says he was seated nearby, claims Horwath stormed over red-faced and made a physical movement to Skellys shoulders.

(Horwath) tapped them a couple of times, Rickford said and described the incident as aggressive

Horwath agrees that she crossed the floor of the legislature to tap Skelly on the shoulder, but calls it a normal situation in which she was trying to get Skellys attention.

Skelly fired back, calling Horwath an angry woman whos in need of anger management training.

Serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo pleaded unsuccessfully for a second chance on Wednesday, arguing low self-esteem drove him to commit the sexually twisted crimes he now rues and that he no longer poses any threat to the public.

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