Liberals complain to Elections Ontario over Holyday’s garbage truck photo op

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Elections Ontario as Elections Canada. This has been corrected.

The Liberal party's complaint against Progressive Conservative by-election candidate Doug Holyday for using a city garbage truck in a photo op has escalated. The provincial party has now filed a complaint with Elections Ontario, following candidate Peter Milczyn's complaint filed to the city integrity commissioner about the truck last week.

Mr. Holyday's campaign team borrowed the out-of-service truck from Green for Life, a private collection company contracted by the city. It was used for a photo op with PC leader Tim Hudak in order to highlight Mr. Holyday's history of contracting out garbage collection to save money.

"That truck was there to prove a point," Mr. Holyday said, calling the complaints "desperate" and "petty." He said he's not sorry for using the truck.

"Not at all. It didn't cost the taxpayers a nickel."

The Liberal party sent a letter to Elections Ontario Monday asking for an investigation into whether the use of the truck was a violation of the Election Finances Act.

"Someone must have paid," stated a release from the Liberals.

"Beyond the specific costs is the belief that the Deputy Mayor holds that the rules don't apply to him."