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Bitter? No, actually. Hillier is happy.

“Oh, without a doubt,” he answered, when asked if he liked his position outside Ford’s circus-like management.

“I’m of the view that people in cabinet and caucus for the last year have had no influence whatsoever. I know this to be a fact.”

In his public life, Hillier has often been a non-conformist. In a wide-ranging talk Friday, he demonstrated that hasn’t changed.

Of Doug Ford?

Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

“I think it’s very unlikely he will be the leader for the next election.”

Of the government’s direction and tone in the first 12 months?

“I think they never left the campaign. That was one big thing. There seemed to be a lack of understanding of what governing is.”

Of government priorities?

Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia

“(Ford) came into office with a truckload of old scores to settle, grudges and axes to grind. Public office is not for the advancement of your own personal vendettas.”

Like the sudden shrinking of Toronto city council, for instance — Ford had been a councillor — about which nothing was discussed during the campaign. Or buck-a-beer or new provincial slogans, or pulling a new OPP commissioner out of a hat.

Hillier is convinced the Ford government was being led by a trio of backroom operators, principally chief of staff Dean French, with whom he had a rather bitter public dispute. Hillier blamed French and other top insiders for trying to turn caucus members into trained seals who were required to clap, cheer and tweet enthusiastically on command.