Judy Foote denies partisanship after Crosbie levels accusations on election night

Judy Foote is defending herself after PC Leader Ches Crosbie raised allegations of partisanship in his post-election comments on Thursday night.

Crosbie said the lieutenant-governor is "constitutionally compromised" after a pair of events that recently raised questions.

Foote is mandated to remain non-partisan in her role, but was pictured at an event for Ontario Liberal MP Judy Sgro in a post on Sgro'sTwitter pagewith the hashtag #2019elxn.

In a response to CBC News on Friday, a spokesperson said Foote was a guest of her long-time friend, paid her own way, and had no idea about Sgro'sTwitter post.

"When Her Honour was sworn in as the province's lieutenant governor, she made an undertaking to not support any politician or political party," astatement reads."She did not, however, make an undertaking to give up her friends."

Less than an hour after CBC News first contacted Foote's office to ask about the Tweet on Wednesday night, Sgro had deleted it.

Crosbie's message

Crosbie came out swinging in his post-electionspeech on Thursday night, at times extending an olive branch to New Democrats and Independents whilevowing to take down PremierDwight Ball's minority government.

In a scrum with reporters after his speech, Crosbie did not mince words when it came to Foote'sactions on two separate issues, both of which Foote has denied any wrongdoing over.

"There is a legitimate concern of apprehension of bias on the part of Judy Foote," Crosbie told reporters.

"She has not managed to divide her role as a non-partisan representative of the Queen from her recency as a political member of the Liberal Party."

Aside from the Sgro event, Foote was accused of campaigning for the provincial Liberals.

Her office issued a lengthy statement on Wednesday morning just one day before the electiondefending a visit to the Grand Bank area, where she read to a group of school children.

The statement said Foote had already gone to the area a few days priorto visit her aunt for Mother's Day and to repair her Grand Bank home, in addition to the event with kids at Lake Academy.

PC candidate Bill Matthews criticized Foote who was a decades-long Liberal politicianbefore being appointed lieutenant-governor for holding the event in her old political stomping groundsduring a political campaign, though no Liberal candidates were present.

Foote's event in Grand Bank was in the district she represented in the House of Assembly, as well as in her former federal riding.Matthews saidthe visit was a move to help the campaign of her formerspecial assistant Carol Anne Haley, who was running against him.

So what does Crosbie plan to do about his concerns that Foote has not beenimpartial?

"Well, we're going to have to see," he replied during the scrum.

Meanwhile, Crosbie offered little insight Thursday night on his next steps for forming a government.

"I'm going to have to keep my thinking cap on and stay sober-minded and talk to some people," he said.

Is another election coming?

While the comments about Foote made for an unexpected sideshow, Crosbie's main target was Ball.

"The Ball government won't make it through the next year," he told the room on Thursday night.

The Liberals won 20 seats, while the PCs took 15, the NDP have three and Independents account for two.

"There is tremendous dissatisfaction with Ball's leadership within the Liberal Party and outside the Liberal Party. I'm forecasting he will not survive."

When asked if he will force an election within the next year, Crosbie said, "I will do what the popular sentiment, what the popular vote dictates that we should do."

Whenasked whether Ball would not survive as premier or Liberal leader, Crosbiereplied,"Both."

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