Brampton Mayor and former Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Patrick Brown says he will seek re-election in the city this fall.
The former Ontario PC leader met with his wife and two children, along with supporters of Brampton City Council, to present the candidacy papers for the municipal secretariat office.
“It has been the greatest privilege to serve the city for the last four years and I am looking forward to the next four years,” Brown said as he held his son, Theodore, on the steps of Brampton town hall.
He closed the door on the possibility of re-entering the Conservative career, saying his new priority will be to defend Brampton with provincial and federal leaders.
“I will be noisy and will be heard to make sure Brampton residents will never be affected.”
Brown was removed from the Conservative leadership race earlier this month on an allegation that his campaign used at least one volunteer who was apparently paid by another company to work for Brown.
Through his lawyers, Brown has denied any campaign crime and is appealing the party’s decision.
“Unfortunately, the Conservative Party did not want to have free and fair elections. We are looking for legal options to make sure that what was done is exposed. “
He suggested that his career supporters emigrate to Jean Charest, whom he called a “good friend” or Scott Aitchison.
“There are candidates in this race who share these inclusive values: Scott Aitchison and Jean Charest share these inclusive values.”
He said the allegations made against his campaign were designed by the party to stop him.
“There was a reason (to remove me) that it was fabricated,” Brown said later.
In Brampton town hall, Brown faces stiff opposition from about half of the council.
A group of councilors tried to pre-emptively appoint a replacement for their fellow councilor Charmaine Williams, who was elected MPP by Brampton Center in June, and was found to have breached City Act.
Brown described the court ruling overturning the replacement as a claim and said his council opponents were trying to take control of Brampton while campaigning for the Conservative leadership race.
Several councilors have also asked the RCMP to investigate the tax impacts of some of Brown’s decisions as mayor and there are several audits underway.
So far, three more have filed their names to file against Brown.
They are Jermaine Chambers, banker, Vidya Sagar Gautam, who ran in the regional council elections in 2014 and 2018, and Cody Vatcher, construction electrician.