Ontario Labour Minister Laurie Scott says graffiti was spray-painted on the wall of her constituency office in Kawartha Lakes, Ont., early in the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018. Source: Premier's Office.

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government met with death threats and vandalism after it introduced a bill to freeze the minimum wage and roll back Liberal labour reforms.

On Tuesday, the province tabled Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, which freezes minimum wage at $14 an hour until fall 2020, and cuts two paid personal leave days for workers, bringing their total to eight.

The bill drew praise from businesses and criticism from unions and anti-poverty advocates on Tuesday, but online and overnight, the reaction ratcheted up.

House Leader Todd Smith told reporters that Ford and Economic Development Minister Jim Wilson have received death threats since the bill was tabled.

“In the last 24 hours, they’ve received death threats,” Smith said.

The premier’s office said it contacted police about the threats, which were also sent to other members of the Progressive Conservative caucus.

“Ministers and MPPs have received threatening messages online and phone calls to their constituency offices,” Ford’s spokesperson Simon Jeffries said.

“We treat these threats very seriously, and we are reporting to law enforcement.”

Ontario Labour Minister @LaurieScottPC says her constituency office was trashed over night after she tabled a bill freezing minimum wage and implementing sweeping changes to labour laws #onpoli pic.twitter.com/2FWc9B5ns7 — Marieke Walsh (@MariekeWalsh) October 24, 2018

Labour Minister Laurie Scott’s constituency office in Kawartha Lakes, Ont., was also trashed.

Outside her office, someone spray-painted the message, “Attack Workers,” and, “We fight back $15.” Windows and doors were bashed in and furniture tipped over.

“We will not tolerate vandalism, intimidation, or bullying,” Scott told reporters at the legislature Wednesday morning.

Smith called the vandals criminals, and tried to tie the incident to labour groups critical of the government.

“What we want to see now is (Fight for) $15 and Fairness, and some of these other radical groups, to acknowledge that a line has been crossed here,” Smith said.

Pam Frache, with Fight for $15 and Fairness, said the group had nothing to do with the vandalism. But while she doesn’t condone it, she said she understands why the labour reforms prompted the reaction.

“We’re very sorry that people feel so devastated that these kinds of events have taken place, but the context is that the government is preparing real hardship for millions of workers in this province,” she said.

She said her advocacy group is focused on organizing in an “accountable, safe, democratic, and family-friendly way.”

Before question period started, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath stood up to condemn the incidents.

With files from the Canadian Press.

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