 John Thompson, president of the Mackenzie Institute, was one of the featured speakers at the town hall.He told the "Toronto Star" that he was invited by Ron Banerjee, one of the organizers, but would have "called in with the flu" had he known Weinstein would be there because of his association with the JDL.Weinstein found himself on the defensive at the meeting, according to the "National Post", after he implied that a town councillor had accepted a bribe.