LILLEY: Ford pledges better vetting of government appointees
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SASKATOON – Premier Doug Ford is promising a better vetting process for appointments in his government in the wake of the Dean French scandal.
“I addressed it immediately, Dean is no longer with the province and will have nothing to do with the province,” Ford said Thursday in an exclusive interview with the Toronto Sun on the sidelines of the conference of Canada’s premiers.
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Ford made the comments in the wake of news that another associate of French who had received an appointment was stepping down.
Andrew Suboch resigned as chair of the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee.
Suboch, a long-time friend of French, was appointed to the committee as chair back in February. It is one of several appointments to come under scrutiny after the appointments scandal erupted on June 21.
That’s when the news broke of French being instrumental in getting his son’s 26-year-old lacrosse buddy, Tyler Albrecht, appointed as Ontario’s trade representative in New York City.
French “resigned” later that day.
Ford’s office said a review would be undertaken of appointments related to French and the premier says changes to the appointment process will be made.
“We need to be vetting these a little more carefully,” he said. “I think moving forward we will put in different procedures.”
Ford stressed that the government has made hundreds of appointments since coming to office and that includes the reappointment of people put in place by the former Liberal government.
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“I’ve reappointed a tremendous amount of Liberal appointments because I look at the qualifications,” Ford said. “That’s what I gauge any appointments on.
“No matter if they are a Liberal appointment or a PC appointment, are they going to make sure they watch their agencies, drive efficiencies and give better service to the people of Ontario.”
Ford has faced criticism of cronyism and worse from detractors, and pleas to right his ship from supporters. The scandal broke just as the premier had shuffled his cabinet in the hopes a fresh start that has yet to happen.
When the scandal broke, the government rescinded the appointments of Albrecht and Taylor Sheilds, another trade commissioner appointment with ties to French.
In the weeks since the scandal, Suboch, Peter Fenwick and Katherine Pal have resigned from their respective appointments.
The Government of Ontario makes thousands of appointments to agencies, boards and commissions. Some are voluntary, some come with stipend payments per meeting, and some come with hefty salaries.
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