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The Premier highlighted the removal of Hydro One CEO and President Mayo Schmidt, the Green Energy Act and “job killing” regulations in Bill 148, referring to the halt of a planned $15-an-hour minimum wage and two guaranteed paid sick days a year for workers.

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Killing cap-and-trade made gasoline and home heating more affordable for families, he said.

The Tories have also announced 6,000 new long-term care beds, he said.

The three-day PCPO Convention 2018, held at the Toronto Congress Centre, celebrates the party’s majority victory in the June provincial election.

Some of the sheen came off the event with recent news that cabinet minister and former interim party leader Jim Wilson was asked to leave caucus over sexual harassment allegations, quickly followed by the departure of senior Ford aide Andrew Kimber for sending inappropriate messages to staff.

Kimber has since issued an apology and Wilson has reportedly gone into addiction treatment for alcohol.

As the PC government prepared to rebound with its first mini-budget Thursday, in the lead up to the victory party the following day, former PC leader Patrick Brown’s explosive book landed.

Take Down, which explores how Brown was forced out just months before the election after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced, makes incendiary claims about key members of the PC government.

In particular, Ford has gone to the defense of Finance Minister Vic Fedeli who was the subject of a party staff member’s complaint of inappropriate behaviour, Brown says in his book.

Fedeli has said he did nothing wrong, and the crowd began chanting “Vic, Vic, Vic” after Ford praised him from the podium.

aartuso@postmedia.com