In 1996, Harnick was asked to comment about a racist remark that Premier Mike Harris had allegedly made regarding the Ipperwash crisis. Opposition NDP member Bud Wildman asked him, "ho, if anyone, said 'get the fucking Indians out of the park'?" Harnick replied, "I can tell you I have no information as to the fact that remark was ever made. I have no knowledge that remark was ever made." The next day he said, "I have found no one who knows anything about that particular comment. That's all I have to say." In 2005, he admitted that he had lied to the legislature because he felt that it was a political forum."