Hillier Slams Scott Reid

Jeff Green | Sep 01, 2021

It might be a bit tense these days at the offices that are shared by MP Scott Reid and MPP Randy Hillier in Perth and Carleton Place.

The two men have been political allies for many years, and were both part of the origin of the Lanark Landowners, the group that Hillier founded and used as a springboard to start his own electoral career.

It was at Reid’s kitchen table in Carleton Place, when he was a first-term MP in the early 2000’s, that Hillier and others who were concerned about landowner’s rights first met and began talking about forming an organisation.

In 2007 Randy Hillier was first elected as MPP. The two men established a joint federal-provincial constituency office in 2010. They said it was cheaper and more convenient for constituents. They call it the One Stop Government Shop.

Any potential conflicts between the provincial and federal wings of the two parties were not of major concern to the two political allies, both of whom have described themselves as Libertarians.

When Randy Hillier was booted from the Ontario party in 2019, Scott Reid came to his defence.

Relations between Reid and the Conservative Party of Canada are not as easy as they were. He was the Deputy House Leader under Stephen Harper for 9 years, but now he no longer has committee assignments. He remains a member of caucus however, and is once again a candidate under the Conservative banner in the current federal election.

When interviewed ten days ago by the Frontenac News, Reid noted that he now differs from Hillier on a number of issues. The first is political affiliation, because Hillier had endorsed another party, the People's Party of Canada, in the election. The two men also take different views towards both vaccinations and mask-wearing as a response to COVID. Reid supports both and Hillier vigorously opposes them.

However, Scott Reid said he agreed with Hillier on one point, the assertion that lockdowns for COVID were neither effective, nor legal.

Relations between the two must be further strained now, as Randy Hillier posted a tweet on Monday that takes direct aim at Scott Reid, and the business that Reid’s father still runs, Giant Tiger.

“As with all conservatives, they become Silent seals in the @erinotoole caucus, even the wealthy @ScottReidCPC could not muster an utterance to support businesses that were shuttered as Giant Tiger prospered. Not the representation I want.”

The tweet came out in response to an appearance by Reid on All in a Day, the CBC Ottawa afternoon show.

Reid was selected by the program to answer to his and his party’s policies regarding combatting discrimination. In the segment, Reid discussed Islamophobia, anti-semitism, mental health among Indigenous Canadians, as well as legislation regarding conversion therapy.

It is unclear what part of the segment sparked Hillier’s ire, unless Hillier was disappointed that Scott Reid did not discuss discrimination against businesses due to lockdown measures.

Perhaps they can discuss that around the water cooler at one of their offices sometime after the election, if Scott Reid wins the vote on September 20.

(Note - The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, has named John Jordan as the candidate for the next provincial election, to replace MPP Hillier as their candidate. Jordan is the CEO of Connect Well, Community Health in the Village of Lanark. He is the son of the late MPP Leo Jordan.)