One month following his removal from Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative caucus, Sault Ste. Marie MPP Chris Scott had a court hearing scheduled in his northeastern Ontario riding on Wednesday morning. However, Scott chose to remain at Queen’s Park and did not attend the hearing.
The rookie MPP was arrested and charged with assault and assault with a weapon on September 19. During the court session on Wednesday morning, an articling student represented Scott’s lawyer, Michael Lacy, over Zoom and requested an adjournment of Scott’s case until after the counsel pre-trial on November 4. The matter is set to be revisited in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom on November 12.
Now functioning as an Independent, Scott was absent from the Legislature’s first session since June on Monday but was present in Toronto on Tuesday, distancing himself from Ford and the PC party.
Despite calls from various public officials, such as Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, for him to resign, Scott expressed eagerness to return to work. He stated, “I still have confidence in myself and my capability to fulfill the duties I was elected for.” When questioned about the allegations of spousal assault, Scott promptly stated, “I deny them completely. I trust the legal system and am anticipating my day in court.”
Scott mentioned that some of his former PC caucus colleagues have offered him support and assured him of their solidarity. He clarified that he has had no contact with Ford, noting, “He’s quite occupied.” While he has distanced himself from partisan activities like door-to-door campaigning and fundraising, Scott affirmed that his office remains open to constituents, adding, “We will provide more information once this matter is resolved.”