Controversial comments made this week by Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, in which she said Premier Doug Ford could end up imprisoned, have left political analysts divided over whether the rhetoric energized her base or undermined her credibility.

“Don’t worry about it, Doug. When I’m premier, I’m going to call a public inquiry into all of this,” Stiles said. “Maybe you don’t get another mandate because you’ll be in prison, Doug.”

Stiles said “a lot of terrible stuff” is going to be revealed about the conduct of the Ford government if a public inquiry is launched after the premier’s time in office concludes. She brought up the government’s clamp-down on freedom of information legislation and the Greenbelt scandal as examples of Ford’s misconduct.