Mike Harris hasn't been premier of Ontario for ten years. But you'd swear he still occupied the corner office on the second floor of the Ontario Legislature, given the shocking welcome he received at Ryerson University this past week. 

Ralph Lean, one of Toronto's most consummate and influential Bay Street lawyers and a partner at Cassels Brock, recently started a gig as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson. 

He thought it'd be a great idea to have two of the other most notable partners at the firm --- former premiers David Peterson and Mike Harris --- visit his class to share their views on politics.

Peterson opened the proceedings by reminding the students that it takes no qualifications at all to be in politics: "You just have to get elected," he said.

After that, "you can get thrown out or swept in through no fault of your own. So you need a tough stomach." 

Then, when Harris began his prepared remarks, half a dozen "students" began disrupting the proceedings by shouting profanities at the 22nd premier of Ontario, and many of the words began with the letter F. 

"Mike Harris, shame on you," they yelled. "You f***ing killed people when you were premier. I can't sit here and listen to your bullshit. I hope you are haunted in your dreams.

Shame on Ryerson for inviting a f***ing piece of shit like you."

And on and on it went. Harris sat calmly at the front of the class, his face showing no emotion. 

Perhaps surprisingly, no one made a move to stop the onslaught. Lean let the protestors go on for a good five minutes before others in the room interceded. 

"Could you guys please stop?" one student asked. "I paid to attend this class and I'd like to hear what the guy has to say." 

That got a round of applause from the vast majority of students in the room, who no doubt, were eight, nine, or ten years old when Harris left politics. 

Then David Peterson intervened: "This is politics. She (one protestor) has a right to express herself and she has. Now I'd like to hear from Mike Harris." 

But the protestors continued. Eventually, another former Liberal politician intervened. 

"I want to hear what he's got to say," said Marie Bountrogianni, a former minister in the McGuinty government, who was visiting the class.  "This is a democracy." 

Finally, at least ten minutes after the kerfuffle began, Ryerson security arrived and escorted the protestors out (peacefully, I might add). 

Harris tried to get things back on track by saying, "I don't know why they're so upset with you David." The class laughed, and Harris finished his speech. 

Next came some fairly tough questions from the real students. And the two former premiers stayed for an hour after the class ended to continue to answer questions. We'll pick up the story there in our next blogpost.