Ontario MPPs call for investigation into politician's anti-vaccination posts

Two Ontario NDP members of provincial parliament are calling on the integrity commissioner to investigate anti-vaccination posts shared last week by another politician on his social media.

Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife and London West MPP Peggy Sattler, who is also the NDP's Opposition House leader, on Friday submitted a co-written letter to the integrity commissioner's office, after images of several people appeared in posts on the online accounts of Randy Hillier, an Independent MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.

The Tuesday posts suggested the individuals died or suffered from a "permanent adverse reaction shortly after receiving their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine."

CBC News spoke to Ammarah Navab, a family member from Cambridge of an individual featured in the posts, who said her sister Farisa Navab died on Sept. 11 after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. 

Navab said her sister's private health information was used without permission, and demanded that Hillier take down the posts and issue an apology. 

"It's not like regular people making assumptions. It's somebody in power who's posting to thousands of followers, lying about my sister's death and using it as 'proof' ... It's disgusting," Navab said last week.

Hillier has not removed the posts or publicly addressed the concerns stated by the family and others who commented on the posts. 

He has not responded to requests for comment by CBC News about what's in the posts or the call for an investigation.

The letter, obtained by CBC News, calls for an investigation under the Member's Integrity Act or Ontario Parliamentary Convention provision, and asks that the commissioner determine if a contravention has occurred. 

"We believe that the conduct of MPP Hillier constitutes an egregious and reprehensible breach of Ontario parliamentary convention," Sattler and Fife say in the letter. 

It says family and friends of some of those pictured are outraged their "loved ones' deaths are being used as propaganda on social media."

"Mr. Hillier did not seek consent for using these pictures and has also blocked family and friends from his account when they request that he not use their family's grief for his political purposes," the letter says. 

Navab confirmed to CBC News that her sister's picture and personal information were used without permission. She also said she and her mother have been blocked by some of Hillier's social media accounts.

"As members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, it is our job to respect, protect and advocate for our communities, not to use Ontarians' personal information without their consent to push forward a dangerous, anti-science agenda. Mr. Hillier has shown contempt for his role as an elected member,and disrespected these grieving families and their loved ones," the letter reads.