Do you still remember who Patrick Brown is?  Considering you paid for a subscription for Canadian political news and commentary, it's almost certain you do.  But less than half of  Ontarians, a year ago, had a clue who Brown was back then, even though he'd been the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario for over two years.  Likely the only time a majority of Ontarians knew who he was was his last day in office as PC leader, when he had a disastrous press conference denying allegations of past sober sexual impropriety with two inebriated young women and was unceremoniously booted by his caucus.

Of course, it isn't all that surprising he wasn't relatively well-known, since the average Ontarian could tell you far more about dozens of fictional characters from their favourite Netflix series than a handful of the real-life characters governing them.  Despite his relative obscurity, Brown has exhibited the typical oversized ego many longtime Canadian politicians develop.  However, in the case of Brown, his delusions of grandeur take on a Swiftian scale — perhaps even on the level of Don Quixote.

A couple weeks ago — in the midst of an Ontario election Brown thought only a few short months ago was his for the plucking — he had his book publisher announce he's writing a "tell-all book," Take Down: The Political Assassination of Patrick Brown, in which the opening lines of a recent draft described as a story "the likes of which haven't been seen since Julius Caesar."

Brown, the supposed author, showed a shred of humility by deciding to scrap the line saying his story is the greatest political take down in the last two millennia, but it's a line that is still indicative of the former PC leader's apparent Napoleonic complex in regards to his political stature.  (He and his publisher expect 500 people to shell out $45, discounted from an original asking price of nearly $100, to get an autographed first-edition copy of his supposedly epic tale.)

As for the book being a tell-all, buyer beware.  Don't expect the unvarnished, messy truth about his previous scandals to be included within.

Let me remind the reader of some of Brown's troubles that will likely be glossed over or omitted entirely.  (For with all the latest scandals dropping about now-PC leader Doug Ford and the PCs, and the campaign battle in full gear, Brown's meltdown is already a long-forgotten footnote, the very opposite of Caesar.)  Besides the supposed CTV hit job that forced Brown to resign and has led to him suing the network, a few other damning stories began trickling out about Brown after he shocked everyone by briefly entering the race to replace himself, right after he adamantly denied he would do so.

First, the Globe and Mail broke that Brown had brokered a sweet deal with a friend and then soon-to-be (winning) PC candidate in a new 905 riding where Brown would sell him his Aeroplan Miles and his small stake in a Barrie restaurant for what was likely an inflated price tag of $375,000.  Brown and his friend denied the transaction ever took place, with the friend producing a second affidavit stating the original affidavit was null and void after the Globe piece ran, yet Brown's bank account statement indicated someone gave Brown the same amount a month after the initial deal was struck.  Brown initially claimed the money came from his family to help him buy a $2.3-million waterfront house, but the story changed once Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake found that Brown's friend had indeed been the one to have given him the $375,000 as a loan, which Wake found violated ethics rules and was "Byzantine in nature and disturbing on many levels.".

Second, the Toronto Star reported, around the same time, Brown had ordered in an email to top party officials (including his longtime friend and PC Party President Rick Dykstra, who had to resign shortly after Brown did because of a past sexual assault allegation filed against him came to light) to "get me the result I want" in a PC nomination contest.  This came after several PC riding associations had accused Brown's PCs of rigging nomination contests.

Third, Brown also failed to disclose rental income that Wake found broke ethics rules.

But despite these and the CTV-related controversy surrounding Brown, he still seems to think he can mount another comeback.  Brown was back yet again this week, doing an interview with CBC's Hannah Thibedeau, in which he attacked PC leader Doug Ford and defended his record.  He also told Thibedeau he "didn't want to destroy the party" and has said in the past he wants to do what's right for the good of it.  Good luck selling those claims when you attack the current leader of the party with a little over a week before voting day, only damaging the party's chances.

Conservative political commentator Paul Tuns pointed out on Twitter that Brown's words are disingenuous.

"Patrick Brown is deliberately creating division.  He is not just trying to rehab his image.  He is not just trying to run for office again soon.  He wants to be leader of the PCs, and he doesn't want to wait a half decade."

I'd heard rumours Brown was going to run for mayor of his hometown of Barrie, but upon observing his actions and deluded statements, I'd have to agree with Tuns.  Mayorship is far too low an aim for one so full of self-interested ambition and self-reverence.

Photo Credit: National Post

Written by Graeme C. Gordon