Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones says she’s already been questioned in the ongoing probe into the appointment of a Ford family friend to the province’s top policing job.
In December, Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake announced that his office was investigating Ron Taverner’s appointment as OPP commissioner. Just days before that announcement, the government said it was postponing Taverner’s appointment until an investigation was completed.
Taverner, a veteran of the Toronto Police Service, was tapped for the job at the end of November. His appointment immediately raised eyebrows because of his close relationship with Premier Doug Ford.
After iPolitics reported that the initial job qualifications — which Taverner didn’t fulfil — were lowered, paving the way for his application, the NDP called on Wake to investigate the appointment.
As a superintendent, Taverner sits two ranks below the deputy-chief rank that was first required of all applicants for the commissioner’s job, but then removed two days later.
Jones told reporters on Tuesday that she was interviewed by Wake “a couple of weeks ago.”
Her office later confirmed that meeting happened on Jan. 29.
The commissioner’s office has declined to give any comment on the status of his investigation, when it will be completed or who he is interviewing as part of his probe. However, in his press release Wake specifically named Ford as the MPP at the centre of the investigation.
A government official told iPolitics the premier has not met with Wake.
On top of Taverner’s close connection to Ford, and the change in job qualifications, one of the people on the hiring committee was also Taverner’s former boss in the Toronto Police Service — Mario Di Tommaso.
Di Tommaso took over the job of deputy minister of community safety on Oct. 22. That’s the same day the job opening for the OPP commissioner was first posted, two days later the qualifications for it were lowered.
While the ethics probe continues, the case was also sent to the courts by a senior OPP commander who’s job application was passed over in favour of Taverner’s. Brad Blair, who met the initial qualifications for the job, is asking the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario to force Ombudsman Paul Dubé to investigate the appointment process.
https://ipolitics.ca/2019/02/19/safety- ... pointment/
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Safety minister questioned in probe of OPP commissioner appointment
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OPP deputy commissioner threatens to sue Ford over response to Taverner appointment
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is being threatened with a lawsuit from the police commander who is challenging the government’s appointment of the Premier’s friend as the province’s next police chief.
A notice of an intent to sue for defamation was sent to Mr. Ford’s office in late January by lawyers acting for Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, according to court documents obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The notice takes issue with televised remarks made by Mr. Ford in December, when he suggested the OPP commander was breaking the Police Services Act by going public with concerns over the hiring of Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner.
Deputy Commissioner Blair alleges the Premier’s comments were made as a “reprisal” – and that they smeared his “distinguished career, and his professional and personal reputation.”
A spokesman for Mr. Ford denied the allegation. “The Premier has taken no act of reprisal against anyone and claims by Blair in this regard are completely false,” Simon Jefferies said.
The province’s Integrity Commissioner is reviewing the hiring of Supt. Taverner amid concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the politicization of the police service. Mr. Ford and Supt. Taverner are long-time friends, but the Premier has said the decision was made by an independent committee that he did not influence.
Deputy Commissioner Blair, who was one of three finalists considered for the job, has asked an Ontario court to force the provincial ombudsman to also review the case. An interim OPP leader is in place until at least next month.
Deputy Commissioner Blair remains with the OPP while he continues his court bid to force the ombudsman to review the hiring process, filing internal documents to support his contention that the Premier and officials in his office have inappropriately intervened in police operations. In one of his sworn statements he has also suggested that “inappropriate political interference or cronyism” could have factored into the decision to hire Supt. Taverner.
After Deputy Commissioner Blair’s complaints were made public, Mr. Ford appeared on television in December to respond to the allegations of interference.
“I’m thoroughly disappointed with Brad Blair, the way he’s been going on, breaking the Police Act numerous times,” the Premier told a Toronto TV station. These, and similar remarks, were picked up on by other media.
The Police Services Act is a disciplinary law governing police standards. If found guilty before a tribunal, officers can be punished with docked pay or dismissal. But no such charges have been filed against Deputy Commissioner Blair, according to his court filings.
The notice of a potential lawsuit alleges Mr. Ford is “attempting to intimidate Deputy Commissioner Blair from pursuing a legitimate complaint,” according to a letter that lawyer Julian Falconer sent to the Premier on Jan. 23.
Contacted on the weekend, Mr. Falconer would not say if his client intends to follow up with a formal lawsuit if Mr. Ford doesn’t retract his comments or apologize. “I don’t have a comment on that,” he said.
The spokesman for the Premier’s Office said Mr. Ford would contest any suit. Deputy Commissioner Blair “still appears clearly upset that he did not get the job,” Mr. Jefferies said. “The Premier will respond to any legal proceedings through his counsel, if and when necessary.”
Other filings show that Deputy Commissioner Blair and his legal team have been cautioned against disclosing any further OPP documents.
On Dec. 28, deputy minister of community safety Mario Di Tommaso wrote to Deputy Commissioner Blair to suggest he was waging an inappropriate personal “public communications” campaign on OPP letterhead.
He stated that all public servants swear oaths that establish “loyalty to the employer” and that the Police Services Act “expressly prohibits a police officer from communicating to the media” any sensitive information held by a police force.
In his letter, Mr. Di Tommaso stated he was not disciplining Deputy Blair but, rather, speaking to him in his capacity as the government’s designated ethics adviser for the OPP police brass.
Deputy Commissioner Blair’s lawyer responded by saying that the deputy minister’s letter was inappropriate, arguing that Mr. Di Tommaso is too enmeshed in the controversy to have direct dealings with his client.
Before being hired by the Progressive Conservative government last October, Mr. Di Tommaso was a staff superintendent at the Toronto Police Service. He served for nearly 40 years and was Supt. Taverner’s commanding officer when he left.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... r-slander/
A notice of an intent to sue for defamation was sent to Mr. Ford’s office in late January by lawyers acting for Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, according to court documents obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The notice takes issue with televised remarks made by Mr. Ford in December, when he suggested the OPP commander was breaking the Police Services Act by going public with concerns over the hiring of Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner.
Deputy Commissioner Blair alleges the Premier’s comments were made as a “reprisal” – and that they smeared his “distinguished career, and his professional and personal reputation.”
A spokesman for Mr. Ford denied the allegation. “The Premier has taken no act of reprisal against anyone and claims by Blair in this regard are completely false,” Simon Jefferies said.
The province’s Integrity Commissioner is reviewing the hiring of Supt. Taverner amid concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the politicization of the police service. Mr. Ford and Supt. Taverner are long-time friends, but the Premier has said the decision was made by an independent committee that he did not influence.
Deputy Commissioner Blair, who was one of three finalists considered for the job, has asked an Ontario court to force the provincial ombudsman to also review the case. An interim OPP leader is in place until at least next month.
Deputy Commissioner Blair remains with the OPP while he continues his court bid to force the ombudsman to review the hiring process, filing internal documents to support his contention that the Premier and officials in his office have inappropriately intervened in police operations. In one of his sworn statements he has also suggested that “inappropriate political interference or cronyism” could have factored into the decision to hire Supt. Taverner.
After Deputy Commissioner Blair’s complaints were made public, Mr. Ford appeared on television in December to respond to the allegations of interference.
“I’m thoroughly disappointed with Brad Blair, the way he’s been going on, breaking the Police Act numerous times,” the Premier told a Toronto TV station. These, and similar remarks, were picked up on by other media.
The Police Services Act is a disciplinary law governing police standards. If found guilty before a tribunal, officers can be punished with docked pay or dismissal. But no such charges have been filed against Deputy Commissioner Blair, according to his court filings.
The notice of a potential lawsuit alleges Mr. Ford is “attempting to intimidate Deputy Commissioner Blair from pursuing a legitimate complaint,” according to a letter that lawyer Julian Falconer sent to the Premier on Jan. 23.
Contacted on the weekend, Mr. Falconer would not say if his client intends to follow up with a formal lawsuit if Mr. Ford doesn’t retract his comments or apologize. “I don’t have a comment on that,” he said.
The spokesman for the Premier’s Office said Mr. Ford would contest any suit. Deputy Commissioner Blair “still appears clearly upset that he did not get the job,” Mr. Jefferies said. “The Premier will respond to any legal proceedings through his counsel, if and when necessary.”
Other filings show that Deputy Commissioner Blair and his legal team have been cautioned against disclosing any further OPP documents.
On Dec. 28, deputy minister of community safety Mario Di Tommaso wrote to Deputy Commissioner Blair to suggest he was waging an inappropriate personal “public communications” campaign on OPP letterhead.
He stated that all public servants swear oaths that establish “loyalty to the employer” and that the Police Services Act “expressly prohibits a police officer from communicating to the media” any sensitive information held by a police force.
In his letter, Mr. Di Tommaso stated he was not disciplining Deputy Blair but, rather, speaking to him in his capacity as the government’s designated ethics adviser for the OPP police brass.
Deputy Commissioner Blair’s lawyer responded by saying that the deputy minister’s letter was inappropriate, arguing that Mr. Di Tommaso is too enmeshed in the controversy to have direct dealings with his client.
Before being hired by the Progressive Conservative government last October, Mr. Di Tommaso was a staff superintendent at the Toronto Police Service. He served for nearly 40 years and was Supt. Taverner’s commanding officer when he left.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... r-slander/
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OPP deputy commissioner threatens to sue Doug Ford over alleged defamation
TORONTO — One of Ontario's highest-ranking police officers is threatening to sue Premier Doug Ford accusing him of defamation.
In a notice of intent to sue filed last month, lawyers for Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair allege that Ford damaged the officer's reputation when he accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by speaking out against the hiring of a Ford family friend for the force's top job.
Blair's lawyer Julian Falconer further alleges that Ford's comments were meant to intimidate his client, who publicly criticized Toronto police superintendent Ron Taverner's appointment as OPP commissioner.
"Specifically, it is alleged that you intentionally, deliberately, and maliciously made statements you knew or ought to have known to be false,'' Falconer said in a letter to Ford.
Falconer said Ford told media that Blair had allegedly violated the act, when there is no evidence the veteran officer did so at any time during his career.
"The preparation, distribution and publication of these defamatory words have caused extensive harm to Deputy Commissioner Blair's professional and personal reputation, as well as other damages to be specified at a later date,'' Falconer said.
In December, Blair said OPP officers had expressed concerns the selection process which resulted in Taverner's appointment was unfair and could raise doubts about the police service's independence.
Blair, who was also in the running for the commissioner's job, also suggested that Taverner's appointment be delayed until an investigation could be conducted by the province's ombudsman.
After the ombudsman declined to investigate, Blair launched a legal challenge in an attempt to force the watchdog to probe the hiring. Ontario's Divisional Court is expected to hear the case in April.
The court documents filed in the case also contain more details about Blair's allegations that Ford's chief of staff asked the OPP to purchase a "larger camper type vehicle'' and have it modified to the specifications of the premier's office, with the costs associated with the vehicle "kept off the books.''
The documents show the cost to taxpayers for the van remodel would be over $50,000, not including the cost of the vehicle itself. The custom features were to include a 32-inch television with Blu-Ray player, a mini-fridge, black leather captain's chairs and a reclining leather sofa bench, the documents said.
A spokesman for Ford said Monday that the premier asked the OPP to look into obtaining a "cost-effective used van'' for him to work and travel in across the province.
"The emails sent to the OPP from a member of the premier's office staff are not an official procurement of a van, instead they are a cost estimate and reveal an effort to minimize expense,'' Simon Jefferies said in an email.
Blair's lawyers said they filed the notice of intent to sue for defamation after the government failed to respond to four letters seeking to clarify if Blair was under a Police Services Act investigation.
Jefferies denied Ford's statements were a reprisal against Blair.
"Mr. Blair is an unsuccessful candidate, and still appears to be clearly upset that he did not get the job,'' he said, adding that the premier would respond to any legal proceedings through his counsel if necessary.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called Ford's actions "shameful'' and said his comments were an attempt to intimidate Blair.
"I think it's another indicator of this government's desire to put a chill on anybody that's going to speak out against them,'' she said.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/02/2 ... _23677747/
https://globalnews.ca/news/4997005/brad ... efamation/
In a notice of intent to sue filed last month, lawyers for Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair allege that Ford damaged the officer's reputation when he accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by speaking out against the hiring of a Ford family friend for the force's top job.
Blair's lawyer Julian Falconer further alleges that Ford's comments were meant to intimidate his client, who publicly criticized Toronto police superintendent Ron Taverner's appointment as OPP commissioner.
"Specifically, it is alleged that you intentionally, deliberately, and maliciously made statements you knew or ought to have known to be false,'' Falconer said in a letter to Ford.
Falconer said Ford told media that Blair had allegedly violated the act, when there is no evidence the veteran officer did so at any time during his career.
"The preparation, distribution and publication of these defamatory words have caused extensive harm to Deputy Commissioner Blair's professional and personal reputation, as well as other damages to be specified at a later date,'' Falconer said.
In December, Blair said OPP officers had expressed concerns the selection process which resulted in Taverner's appointment was unfair and could raise doubts about the police service's independence.
Blair, who was also in the running for the commissioner's job, also suggested that Taverner's appointment be delayed until an investigation could be conducted by the province's ombudsman.
After the ombudsman declined to investigate, Blair launched a legal challenge in an attempt to force the watchdog to probe the hiring. Ontario's Divisional Court is expected to hear the case in April.
The court documents filed in the case also contain more details about Blair's allegations that Ford's chief of staff asked the OPP to purchase a "larger camper type vehicle'' and have it modified to the specifications of the premier's office, with the costs associated with the vehicle "kept off the books.''
The documents show the cost to taxpayers for the van remodel would be over $50,000, not including the cost of the vehicle itself. The custom features were to include a 32-inch television with Blu-Ray player, a mini-fridge, black leather captain's chairs and a reclining leather sofa bench, the documents said.
A spokesman for Ford said Monday that the premier asked the OPP to look into obtaining a "cost-effective used van'' for him to work and travel in across the province.
"The emails sent to the OPP from a member of the premier's office staff are not an official procurement of a van, instead they are a cost estimate and reveal an effort to minimize expense,'' Simon Jefferies said in an email.
Blair's lawyers said they filed the notice of intent to sue for defamation after the government failed to respond to four letters seeking to clarify if Blair was under a Police Services Act investigation.
Jefferies denied Ford's statements were a reprisal against Blair.
"Mr. Blair is an unsuccessful candidate, and still appears to be clearly upset that he did not get the job,'' he said, adding that the premier would respond to any legal proceedings through his counsel if necessary.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called Ford's actions "shameful'' and said his comments were an attempt to intimidate Blair.
"I think it's another indicator of this government's desire to put a chill on anybody that's going to speak out against them,'' she said.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/02/2 ... _23677747/
https://globalnews.ca/news/4997005/brad ... efamation/
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Don’t laugh at Doug Ford’s customized van — he’s remodelling the entire OPP to his own tastes
That Doug Ford raged over his OPP protective detail, and then demanded his own vanity van, is not a federal crime.
Who cares if the man in the van travels in the style to which he is accustomed? So what if he berates the bodyguards who would take a bullet for him?
Ford professes to love cops, but he doesn’t have to love them all. He purports to be the premier for the people, but he is just a person — if not always a people person.
What the premier purports in public, and how he comports in private, are two different things. What matters most is how he distinguishes between private wants and public needs.
The opposition is lampooning the premier’s obsession with a specially customized van, outfitted with fridge and sofa, as a $100,000 “souped-up man cave on wheels.” The media are mocking his profanity-laced outbursts at the Ontario Provincial Police.
Trying to cast Ford as a boorish premier is surely pointless, post-election. Voters long ago sized him up and saddled up.
People are missing the point. It’s not about his perquisites but his principles.
When Ford lashed out last summer, shortly after taking power, he resented the limits to his power: The premier wanted everyone to obey every caprice and abide by every command without question.
That’s how he rolls, whether in a mobile office or his Queen’s Park office. No one says “no” to Doug Ford — notwithstanding anything.
Which is why, when the premier didn’t like the look of his bodyguards, he let them know.
“I’ve asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already,” Ford griped, according to an OPP officer who emailed the complaint to his superiors.
“It feels like I’m not being heard, like I’m getting f---ed around by the OPP and I’m getting more pissed off,” Ford was quoted as saying. “I’m going to call the commissioner and sort this out. This is the last straw.”
The target of his outburst was then-commissioner Vince Hawkes: “If I have to, I will drive up there to see him face-to-face so he can see how serious I am about this. If he can’t sort this out then maybe a new commissioner can make it happen.”
The complaints emerged in a recent court filing by Brad Blair, the deputy commissioner who took over from Hawkes temporarily last fall and applied for the permanent job, but lost out to a longtime friend of the Ford family, Ron Taverner. Like many others within the OPP and outside the force, Blair expressed incredulity that the government had hired someone who didn’t qualify for the original competition because he lacked the required managerial experience (the job specifications were downgraded days later, whereupon, mysteriously, the previously unqualified Taverner emerged as the most qualified). The integrity commissioner is now investigating.
Cronyism can’t contaminate the commissioner’s office at the OPP, which must maintain its independence. It may one day be called upon to investigate wrongdoing by the premier’s office (as happened under the Liberals), and the chief must speak truth to power, not be indebted to it.
The point is that Ford’s outburst last summer suggests a turning point in his thinking: “Maybe a new commissioner can make it happen.”
Which takes us to the premier’s peculiar obsession with a customized van, and his stated preference for driving versus flying:
“I’m the only premier in history that refuses to use the premier’s plane,” Ford protested this week, referring to the King Air turboprop operated by the ministry of natural resources.
Never mind that Ford flew on a chartered jet for a northern swing last fall. (A spokesperson noted the Progressive Conservatives paid the costs because of a party event along the way.)
In fairness to Ford, all he seeks is a van. He doesn’t aspire to the armoured trains that ferry North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to international summits.
Should we begrudge him seeking Wi-Fi in his dream van? Do we belittle him for wanting an old-fashioned DVD player after visiting the Mississauga customization company?
Surely our premier deserves Wi-Fi connectivity, or Blu-ray DVDs to unplug. Let the man have his van to see his fans.
There’s little point fussing about Ford using the F-word to his bodyguards. Worry when he mucks with police independence.
Don’t bemoan his aspirations for a single customized van in the OPP fleet. Beware his ambitions to remodel the entire force to his own tastes.
When you strip away the leather seats and customized couch, there’s a message Ford needs to hear:
As premier, and leader of the PCs, it’s your party and you can fly or drive if you want to. Just don’t take the province for a ride by giving your crony the keys to the entire OPP fleet and force.
https://www.thestar.com/politics/politi ... astes.html
Who cares if the man in the van travels in the style to which he is accustomed? So what if he berates the bodyguards who would take a bullet for him?
Ford professes to love cops, but he doesn’t have to love them all. He purports to be the premier for the people, but he is just a person — if not always a people person.
What the premier purports in public, and how he comports in private, are two different things. What matters most is how he distinguishes between private wants and public needs.
The opposition is lampooning the premier’s obsession with a specially customized van, outfitted with fridge and sofa, as a $100,000 “souped-up man cave on wheels.” The media are mocking his profanity-laced outbursts at the Ontario Provincial Police.
Trying to cast Ford as a boorish premier is surely pointless, post-election. Voters long ago sized him up and saddled up.
People are missing the point. It’s not about his perquisites but his principles.
When Ford lashed out last summer, shortly after taking power, he resented the limits to his power: The premier wanted everyone to obey every caprice and abide by every command without question.
That’s how he rolls, whether in a mobile office or his Queen’s Park office. No one says “no” to Doug Ford — notwithstanding anything.
Which is why, when the premier didn’t like the look of his bodyguards, he let them know.
“I’ve asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already,” Ford griped, according to an OPP officer who emailed the complaint to his superiors.
“It feels like I’m not being heard, like I’m getting f---ed around by the OPP and I’m getting more pissed off,” Ford was quoted as saying. “I’m going to call the commissioner and sort this out. This is the last straw.”
The target of his outburst was then-commissioner Vince Hawkes: “If I have to, I will drive up there to see him face-to-face so he can see how serious I am about this. If he can’t sort this out then maybe a new commissioner can make it happen.”
The complaints emerged in a recent court filing by Brad Blair, the deputy commissioner who took over from Hawkes temporarily last fall and applied for the permanent job, but lost out to a longtime friend of the Ford family, Ron Taverner. Like many others within the OPP and outside the force, Blair expressed incredulity that the government had hired someone who didn’t qualify for the original competition because he lacked the required managerial experience (the job specifications were downgraded days later, whereupon, mysteriously, the previously unqualified Taverner emerged as the most qualified). The integrity commissioner is now investigating.
Cronyism can’t contaminate the commissioner’s office at the OPP, which must maintain its independence. It may one day be called upon to investigate wrongdoing by the premier’s office (as happened under the Liberals), and the chief must speak truth to power, not be indebted to it.
The point is that Ford’s outburst last summer suggests a turning point in his thinking: “Maybe a new commissioner can make it happen.”
Which takes us to the premier’s peculiar obsession with a customized van, and his stated preference for driving versus flying:
“I’m the only premier in history that refuses to use the premier’s plane,” Ford protested this week, referring to the King Air turboprop operated by the ministry of natural resources.
Never mind that Ford flew on a chartered jet for a northern swing last fall. (A spokesperson noted the Progressive Conservatives paid the costs because of a party event along the way.)
In fairness to Ford, all he seeks is a van. He doesn’t aspire to the armoured trains that ferry North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to international summits.
Should we begrudge him seeking Wi-Fi in his dream van? Do we belittle him for wanting an old-fashioned DVD player after visiting the Mississauga customization company?
Surely our premier deserves Wi-Fi connectivity, or Blu-ray DVDs to unplug. Let the man have his van to see his fans.
There’s little point fussing about Ford using the F-word to his bodyguards. Worry when he mucks with police independence.
Don’t bemoan his aspirations for a single customized van in the OPP fleet. Beware his ambitions to remodel the entire force to his own tastes.
When you strip away the leather seats and customized couch, there’s a message Ford needs to hear:
As premier, and leader of the PCs, it’s your party and you can fly or drive if you want to. Just don’t take the province for a ride by giving your crony the keys to the entire OPP fleet and force.
https://www.thestar.com/politics/politi ... astes.html
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BREAKING: OPP Deputy Commish fired!
Brad Blair has been fired as Deputy Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.
The man who was interim commissioner and considered a front runner to become the top cop in the province was terminated for filing internal emails from the OPP in court as part of a lawsuit.
The firing was ordered by Mario Di Tommaso, Deputy Minister of Community Safety.
“It was my conclusion that Mr. Blair undertook conduct that was not only contrary to instruction I had provided him in my capacity as his ethics executive by letter dated December 28, 2018, but was contrary to his legal and ethical responsibilities as a Deputy Commissioner,” Di Tommaso said in a memo distributed to the government.
After losing out in the competition to become the next OPP Commissioner to Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner, Blair asked for the provincial ombudsman to investigate.
When the ombudsman refused, Blair went to Ontario Divisional Court asking a judge to force an investigation.
As part of his filing with the court, Blair included internal OPP emails, including a description of conversations between Premier Doug Ford, his staff and his bodyguard, an OPP officer under Blair’s command.
One of the main emails, dated July 18, 2018, was written by Sgt. Terrence Murphy — the premier’s driver and bodyguard.
Sgt. Murphy had written a summary of a conversation with the premier about the number of “new faces” in Ford’s protection detail.
That email about Ford’s concerns was forwarded up the chain of command and eventually landed in the inbox of Blair.
On February 15, 2019 Blair filed that email, plus another with details of the customized van the premier wanted for travel as part of his lawsuit to force an examination of the process that saw him passed over for the top job.
In his memo on Blair’s firing, Di Tommaso said that after considering legal advice and reviewing Blair’s actions, “termination was the only acceptable recourse.”
Blair’s actions also resulted in the removal of Sgt. Murphy from Premier Ford’s protective detail.
One source close to the premier, who also knows Sgt. Murphy, said that there was a feeling of broken trust after the emails and the premier’s private conversation was made public.
The Ontario Provincial Police Association has said that Sgt. Murphy was only doing his job “by relaying the Premier’s wishes to his superiors.”
In a memo to Di Tommaso, OPPA President Rob Jamieson asked for Murphy to be reinstated but blasted Blair’s actions.
“The OPP Association is deeply troubled that confidential and operationally-sensitive emails have found their way into the public domain,” Jamieson wrote on February 28.
Blair challenged the selection process to choose the next OPP Commissioner claiming to was favoured to help Taverner, a long time friend of Ford family.
While Taverner has been a police officer for more than 50 years — including a superintendent with the Toronto Police service — he did not meet the original qualifications.
Premier Ford has denied the qualifications were changed specifically for Taverner but rather to get a bigger and better pool of candidates.
Ford described Blair’s lawsuit as “sour grapes.”
https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/ ... mish-fired
https://www.simcoereformer.ca/news/prov ... ab20ccb0e9
The man who was interim commissioner and considered a front runner to become the top cop in the province was terminated for filing internal emails from the OPP in court as part of a lawsuit.
The firing was ordered by Mario Di Tommaso, Deputy Minister of Community Safety.
“It was my conclusion that Mr. Blair undertook conduct that was not only contrary to instruction I had provided him in my capacity as his ethics executive by letter dated December 28, 2018, but was contrary to his legal and ethical responsibilities as a Deputy Commissioner,” Di Tommaso said in a memo distributed to the government.
After losing out in the competition to become the next OPP Commissioner to Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner, Blair asked for the provincial ombudsman to investigate.
When the ombudsman refused, Blair went to Ontario Divisional Court asking a judge to force an investigation.
As part of his filing with the court, Blair included internal OPP emails, including a description of conversations between Premier Doug Ford, his staff and his bodyguard, an OPP officer under Blair’s command.
One of the main emails, dated July 18, 2018, was written by Sgt. Terrence Murphy — the premier’s driver and bodyguard.
Sgt. Murphy had written a summary of a conversation with the premier about the number of “new faces” in Ford’s protection detail.
That email about Ford’s concerns was forwarded up the chain of command and eventually landed in the inbox of Blair.
On February 15, 2019 Blair filed that email, plus another with details of the customized van the premier wanted for travel as part of his lawsuit to force an examination of the process that saw him passed over for the top job.
In his memo on Blair’s firing, Di Tommaso said that after considering legal advice and reviewing Blair’s actions, “termination was the only acceptable recourse.”
Blair’s actions also resulted in the removal of Sgt. Murphy from Premier Ford’s protective detail.
One source close to the premier, who also knows Sgt. Murphy, said that there was a feeling of broken trust after the emails and the premier’s private conversation was made public.
The Ontario Provincial Police Association has said that Sgt. Murphy was only doing his job “by relaying the Premier’s wishes to his superiors.”
In a memo to Di Tommaso, OPPA President Rob Jamieson asked for Murphy to be reinstated but blasted Blair’s actions.
“The OPP Association is deeply troubled that confidential and operationally-sensitive emails have found their way into the public domain,” Jamieson wrote on February 28.
Blair challenged the selection process to choose the next OPP Commissioner claiming to was favoured to help Taverner, a long time friend of Ford family.
While Taverner has been a police officer for more than 50 years — including a superintendent with the Toronto Police service — he did not meet the original qualifications.
Premier Ford has denied the qualifications were changed specifically for Taverner but rather to get a bigger and better pool of candidates.
Ford described Blair’s lawsuit as “sour grapes.”
https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/ ... mish-fired
https://www.simcoereformer.ca/news/prov ... ab20ccb0e9
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Ford government fires OPP deputy commissioner challenging Taverner hire
The government has fired an outspoken OPP commander who launched a lawsuit after being passed over for the police service’s top job in favour of a friend of Premier Doug Ford.
Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair had been the acting commissioner of the police force and had hoped to keep the job atop Canada’s second-largest police organization permanently. Instead, last fall the government announced the hiring of Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner, prompting a legal battle.
Deputy Minister of Community Safety Mario Di Tommaso made the decision to fire Deputy Commissioner Blair, a spokeswoman for the OPP said.
“I can say that at this point that Deputy Commissioner Blair was terminated today on Monday, at the direction of the deputy minister …. as approved by the public service commission," said Staff Sergeant Carolle Dionne, an OPP spokeswoman. "We don’t have why he was terminated, just that he was terminated.”
She added that OPP commissioners and deputy commissioners are order-in-council appointments who serve at the pleasure of the government. A replacement is anticipated soon.
Commissioner Gary Couture, the acting head of the OPP, circulated a notice to all members of the provincial police force on Monday morning informing them of the move.
“I want to advise you that Brad Blair is no longer a Deputy Commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police effective immediately," it said.
In December, Deputy Commissioner Blair launched a legal suit, challenging the government’s decision to give the OPP’s top job to Supt. Taverner. He has alleged Mr. Ford inappropriately interfered in police operations and wants a court to order the provincial ombudsman to review the hiring.
A memo obtained by The Globe shows that last Friday Mr. Di Tommaso, the deputy minister, wrote a “confidential” update to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones, saying that he met with several senior bureaucrats and together they recommended the Progressive Conservative government fire Deputy Commissioner Blair.
"I am writing to inform you that earlier today, after careful consideration of legal advice, I recommended to the Public Service Commission that the Commission .... terminate the employment of Deputy Commissioner William Bradley Blair," Mr. Di Tommaso wrote in his March 1 letter.
He said he recommended this course of action because Deputy Commissioner Blair did not heed the written caution that Mr. Di Tommaso sent him on Dec. 28. That correspondence advised the career OPP officer to cease citing internal police correspondence in the documents he was filing into court to support his case.
Such disclosures were "contrary to his legal and ethical responsibilities," Mr. Di Tommaso wrote, before telling his minister that "termination was the only acceptable recourse."
In his March 1 letter, Mr. Di Tommaso urged the Progressive Conservative cabinet to revoke the executive order that gave Deputy Commissioner Blair his OPP command role.
“The decision will be held in strictest confidence until it is communicated to Mr. Blair on Monday,” his letter said.
Deputy Commissioner Blair’s lawyer had responded to the Dec. 28 letter by saying that it was inappropriate, arguing that Mr. Di Tommaso is too enmeshed in the controversy to have direct dealings with his client. Before being hired by the Progressive Conservative government last October, Mr. Di Tommaso was a staff superintendent at the Toronto Police Service. He served for nearly 40 years and was Supt. Taverner’s commanding officer when he left.
Mr. Di Tommaso was part of the three-person committee that selected Supt. Taverner for the top job.
Supt. Taverner has deferred taking the position pending a continuing investigation by the integrity commissioner into the hiring process that led to his appointment. Mr. Ford has said he believes the committee selected the best person for the job, and that he did not interfere in the hiring process.
Deputy Commissioner Blair, who was also a front-runner for the position, went public with his concerns in December, alleging that “inappropriate political interference or cronyism” could affect OPP operations. In his filings and correspondence, he alleged the Premier’s Office directed a sole-sourced “off-the-books” request for the OPP to refit an executive van for the Premier’s use. He further alleged the Premier relayed to police that he wanted a meeting with then-OPP commissioner Vince Hawkes to ask him to replace a rotating security detail for Mr. Ford with permanent bodyguards and, if not, “perhaps a new Commissioner would.”
Deputy Commissioner Blair’s most recent court filings, made on Feb. 15, include internal e-mails about Mr. Ford’s concerns about his police bodyguards and an estimate for the van overhaul. The Premier’s Office says, however, he should not be accessing those records and making them public.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath during Question Period on Monday asked the government to justify the firing of Deputy Commissioner Blair.
“The deputy commissioner has brought key details of the deeply flawed appointment process to light,” Ms. Horwath said. “It was a brave thing for this person to do, to come forward, and it looks like that bravery has lost him his job.”
In response, Ms. Jones said it wasn’t the government’s decision.
“The public service commission, in consultation with the OPP, made a decision independently … to terminate the employment of Mr. Blair. I will not be commenting, nor should anyone else, on private HR issues,” Ms. Jones told the legislature.
The disclosures recently made as part of the Deputy Commissioner Blair’s court case appear to have had fallout for other OPP careers.
Last week, the union head who represents rank-and-file OPP officers wrote to Mr. Di Tommaso to express concerns about a police-officer bodyguard of Mr. Ford’s being suddenly reassigned.
On Thursday, the officer “was advised that he was being stood down from his duties,” Rob Jamieson, president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association, wrote in a Feb. 28 letter to the deputy minister.
The police union head said that “we can only assume that this action is the direct result of his name being mentioned in several media reports” flowing from the lawsuit by Deputy Commissioner Blair.
In a July e-mail written just weeks after Mr. Ford took over as premier, the officer relayed to OPP headquarters Mr. Ford’s displeasure with his security detail.
He quoted the premier as saying that “I have not formed the trust with them. I have asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already. It feels like I’m not being heard, like I’m getting f***ed around by the OPP, and I’m getting more pissed off.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... rner-hire/
Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair had been the acting commissioner of the police force and had hoped to keep the job atop Canada’s second-largest police organization permanently. Instead, last fall the government announced the hiring of Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner, prompting a legal battle.
Deputy Minister of Community Safety Mario Di Tommaso made the decision to fire Deputy Commissioner Blair, a spokeswoman for the OPP said.
“I can say that at this point that Deputy Commissioner Blair was terminated today on Monday, at the direction of the deputy minister …. as approved by the public service commission," said Staff Sergeant Carolle Dionne, an OPP spokeswoman. "We don’t have why he was terminated, just that he was terminated.”
She added that OPP commissioners and deputy commissioners are order-in-council appointments who serve at the pleasure of the government. A replacement is anticipated soon.
Commissioner Gary Couture, the acting head of the OPP, circulated a notice to all members of the provincial police force on Monday morning informing them of the move.
“I want to advise you that Brad Blair is no longer a Deputy Commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police effective immediately," it said.
In December, Deputy Commissioner Blair launched a legal suit, challenging the government’s decision to give the OPP’s top job to Supt. Taverner. He has alleged Mr. Ford inappropriately interfered in police operations and wants a court to order the provincial ombudsman to review the hiring.
A memo obtained by The Globe shows that last Friday Mr. Di Tommaso, the deputy minister, wrote a “confidential” update to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones, saying that he met with several senior bureaucrats and together they recommended the Progressive Conservative government fire Deputy Commissioner Blair.
"I am writing to inform you that earlier today, after careful consideration of legal advice, I recommended to the Public Service Commission that the Commission .... terminate the employment of Deputy Commissioner William Bradley Blair," Mr. Di Tommaso wrote in his March 1 letter.
He said he recommended this course of action because Deputy Commissioner Blair did not heed the written caution that Mr. Di Tommaso sent him on Dec. 28. That correspondence advised the career OPP officer to cease citing internal police correspondence in the documents he was filing into court to support his case.
Such disclosures were "contrary to his legal and ethical responsibilities," Mr. Di Tommaso wrote, before telling his minister that "termination was the only acceptable recourse."
In his March 1 letter, Mr. Di Tommaso urged the Progressive Conservative cabinet to revoke the executive order that gave Deputy Commissioner Blair his OPP command role.
“The decision will be held in strictest confidence until it is communicated to Mr. Blair on Monday,” his letter said.
Deputy Commissioner Blair’s lawyer had responded to the Dec. 28 letter by saying that it was inappropriate, arguing that Mr. Di Tommaso is too enmeshed in the controversy to have direct dealings with his client. Before being hired by the Progressive Conservative government last October, Mr. Di Tommaso was a staff superintendent at the Toronto Police Service. He served for nearly 40 years and was Supt. Taverner’s commanding officer when he left.
Mr. Di Tommaso was part of the three-person committee that selected Supt. Taverner for the top job.
Supt. Taverner has deferred taking the position pending a continuing investigation by the integrity commissioner into the hiring process that led to his appointment. Mr. Ford has said he believes the committee selected the best person for the job, and that he did not interfere in the hiring process.
Deputy Commissioner Blair, who was also a front-runner for the position, went public with his concerns in December, alleging that “inappropriate political interference or cronyism” could affect OPP operations. In his filings and correspondence, he alleged the Premier’s Office directed a sole-sourced “off-the-books” request for the OPP to refit an executive van for the Premier’s use. He further alleged the Premier relayed to police that he wanted a meeting with then-OPP commissioner Vince Hawkes to ask him to replace a rotating security detail for Mr. Ford with permanent bodyguards and, if not, “perhaps a new Commissioner would.”
Deputy Commissioner Blair’s most recent court filings, made on Feb. 15, include internal e-mails about Mr. Ford’s concerns about his police bodyguards and an estimate for the van overhaul. The Premier’s Office says, however, he should not be accessing those records and making them public.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath during Question Period on Monday asked the government to justify the firing of Deputy Commissioner Blair.
“The deputy commissioner has brought key details of the deeply flawed appointment process to light,” Ms. Horwath said. “It was a brave thing for this person to do, to come forward, and it looks like that bravery has lost him his job.”
In response, Ms. Jones said it wasn’t the government’s decision.
“The public service commission, in consultation with the OPP, made a decision independently … to terminate the employment of Mr. Blair. I will not be commenting, nor should anyone else, on private HR issues,” Ms. Jones told the legislature.
The disclosures recently made as part of the Deputy Commissioner Blair’s court case appear to have had fallout for other OPP careers.
Last week, the union head who represents rank-and-file OPP officers wrote to Mr. Di Tommaso to express concerns about a police-officer bodyguard of Mr. Ford’s being suddenly reassigned.
On Thursday, the officer “was advised that he was being stood down from his duties,” Rob Jamieson, president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association, wrote in a Feb. 28 letter to the deputy minister.
The police union head said that “we can only assume that this action is the direct result of his name being mentioned in several media reports” flowing from the lawsuit by Deputy Commissioner Blair.
In a July e-mail written just weeks after Mr. Ford took over as premier, the officer relayed to OPP headquarters Mr. Ford’s displeasure with his security detail.
He quoted the premier as saying that “I have not formed the trust with them. I have asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already. It feels like I’m not being heard, like I’m getting f***ed around by the OPP, and I’m getting more pissed off.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... rner-hire/
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OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair fired from force, police confirm
TORONTO -- An Ontario Provincial Police deputy commissioner who expressed concerns about a friend of the premier's appointment as the province's top cop was fired Monday, but the corrections minister insisted there was no political interference.
Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new OPP commissioner.
He is also threatening to sue Ford, alleging that the premier damaged his reputation when Ford accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by speaking out against Taverner's hiring.
Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Sylvia Jones said the decision to fire Blair came from the public service.
"There was zero political influence on this decision," Jones said. "For me to start questioning my deputy minister would have been absolutely inappropriate."
Deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso wrote in a memo on Friday that he had recommended the termination to the Public Service Commission because Blair had contravened "his legal and ethical responsibilities as a deputy commissioner and senior public servant."
A day earlier, the president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association had written to Di Tommaso expressing concern that Blair's public court filings, including internal OPP documents, have had adverse impacts on his members, in particular a protection officer for Ford.
Di Tommaso is also a former boss of Taverner's and was part of the three-person hiring panel that selected Taverner as OPP commissioner.
Jones rejected suggestions that Di Tommaso's involvement in Blair's firing was inappropriate, saying he is in charge of the ministry's public safety division.
"It makes imminent sense that he would be involved in OPP hiring, in OPP decisions, in OPP oversight," she said.
Liberal Nathalie Des Rosiers asked the chair of the legislature's justice committee to call Di Tommaso to testify.
Taverner's appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation.
Blair initially requested an ombudsman investigation in December, amid what he called "growing concerns of political interference" in the hiring process. He said it had deeply affected the morale of rank and file officers.
The veteran officer, who was also in the running for the commissioner's job, was acting OPP commissioner at the time he originally started his legal case, but soon after was removed from that position.
Blair's lawyer Julian Falconer has alleged that Ford's comments were meant to intimidate his client. Falconer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Blair's firing.
A Ford spokesman has denied that the premier's statements were a reprisal against Blair.
Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the requirements listed for the commissioner position. The Ford government has admitted it lowered the requirements for the position to attract a wider range of candidates.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/opp-deputy-c ... -1.4321388
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/03/04/ ... een-fired/
https://www.cp24.com/news/deputy-opp-co ... -1.4321393
https://globalnews.ca/news/5018710/brad ... opp-fired/
Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new OPP commissioner.
He is also threatening to sue Ford, alleging that the premier damaged his reputation when Ford accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by speaking out against Taverner's hiring.
Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Sylvia Jones said the decision to fire Blair came from the public service.
"There was zero political influence on this decision," Jones said. "For me to start questioning my deputy minister would have been absolutely inappropriate."
Deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso wrote in a memo on Friday that he had recommended the termination to the Public Service Commission because Blair had contravened "his legal and ethical responsibilities as a deputy commissioner and senior public servant."
A day earlier, the president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association had written to Di Tommaso expressing concern that Blair's public court filings, including internal OPP documents, have had adverse impacts on his members, in particular a protection officer for Ford.
Di Tommaso is also a former boss of Taverner's and was part of the three-person hiring panel that selected Taverner as OPP commissioner.
Jones rejected suggestions that Di Tommaso's involvement in Blair's firing was inappropriate, saying he is in charge of the ministry's public safety division.
"It makes imminent sense that he would be involved in OPP hiring, in OPP decisions, in OPP oversight," she said.
Liberal Nathalie Des Rosiers asked the chair of the legislature's justice committee to call Di Tommaso to testify.
Taverner's appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation.
Blair initially requested an ombudsman investigation in December, amid what he called "growing concerns of political interference" in the hiring process. He said it had deeply affected the morale of rank and file officers.
The veteran officer, who was also in the running for the commissioner's job, was acting OPP commissioner at the time he originally started his legal case, but soon after was removed from that position.
Blair's lawyer Julian Falconer has alleged that Ford's comments were meant to intimidate his client. Falconer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Blair's firing.
A Ford spokesman has denied that the premier's statements were a reprisal against Blair.
Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the requirements listed for the commissioner position. The Ford government has admitted it lowered the requirements for the position to attract a wider range of candidates.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/opp-deputy-c ... -1.4321388
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/03/04/ ... een-fired/
https://www.cp24.com/news/deputy-opp-co ... -1.4321393
https://globalnews.ca/news/5018710/brad ... opp-fired/
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Ford government fires OPP deputy Brad Blair, critic of Taverner appointment
The Ford government has fired the outspoken Ontario Provincial Police deputy commissioner Brad Blair.
Blair has been a fierce critic of the Progressive Conservatives' appointment of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner as the next chief of the OPP. He was fired Monday morning.
Blair is asking an Ontario court to force the province's ombudsman to investigate the appointment of Taverner, who is a longtime friend of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
He also recently revealed internal OPP documents about a plan to customize a van for Premier Ford.
The PCs say the decision to fire Blair was made by Mario Di Tommaso, the deputy minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services after consultation with interim OPP commissioner Gary Couture. The firing was approved by the Public Service Commission.
Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones said Blair was fired for releasing confidential OPP information in a letter to the ombudsman, a breach of his oath as the force's deputy commissioner.
"He released confidential, private information for his own personal gain," Jones said Monday afternoon. About an hour earlier, Jones had told reporters she did not know why Blair was fired.
Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has suggested Blair was fired for speaking out against Taverner's appointment.
"It's a chilling day in Ontario when a well-respected OPP deputy commissioner who dedicated his life to this province is fired for standing up for the integrity and independence of our provincial police," Horwath said.
"It was a brave thing for this person to do, to come forward, and it looks like that bravery has lost him his job."
'Private HR issue'
In response to Horwath's accusation, Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones said the decision was made "independently of the political process."
"I will not be commenting, nor should anyone else on private HR issues," she said.
Jones later told reporters the decision was made entirely at the discretion of the Public Service Commission and the OPP. She said any accusation that her government influenced the firing was "categorically false."
"I wasn't asked for my advice, if I agreed with the decision that was made. [The Public Service Commission] made the decision to terminate," Jones insisted amid repeated questions about accusations of political interference.
However, Jones did not say who initially launched the review or investigation into Blair's performance, only that the Public Service Commission accepted the recommendation that Blair be fired.
An interim incumbent will be identified by the ministry.
In addition to his request to Ontario's ombudsman, Blair is also threatening to sue Ford, alleging that the premier damaged his reputation when Ford accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by speaking out against Taverner's hiring.
Taverner's appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5041873
Blair has been a fierce critic of the Progressive Conservatives' appointment of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner as the next chief of the OPP. He was fired Monday morning.
Blair is asking an Ontario court to force the province's ombudsman to investigate the appointment of Taverner, who is a longtime friend of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
He also recently revealed internal OPP documents about a plan to customize a van for Premier Ford.
The PCs say the decision to fire Blair was made by Mario Di Tommaso, the deputy minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services after consultation with interim OPP commissioner Gary Couture. The firing was approved by the Public Service Commission.
Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones said Blair was fired for releasing confidential OPP information in a letter to the ombudsman, a breach of his oath as the force's deputy commissioner.
"He released confidential, private information for his own personal gain," Jones said Monday afternoon. About an hour earlier, Jones had told reporters she did not know why Blair was fired.
Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has suggested Blair was fired for speaking out against Taverner's appointment.
"It's a chilling day in Ontario when a well-respected OPP deputy commissioner who dedicated his life to this province is fired for standing up for the integrity and independence of our provincial police," Horwath said.
"It was a brave thing for this person to do, to come forward, and it looks like that bravery has lost him his job."
'Private HR issue'
In response to Horwath's accusation, Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones said the decision was made "independently of the political process."
"I will not be commenting, nor should anyone else on private HR issues," she said.
Jones later told reporters the decision was made entirely at the discretion of the Public Service Commission and the OPP. She said any accusation that her government influenced the firing was "categorically false."
"I wasn't asked for my advice, if I agreed with the decision that was made. [The Public Service Commission] made the decision to terminate," Jones insisted amid repeated questions about accusations of political interference.
However, Jones did not say who initially launched the review or investigation into Blair's performance, only that the Public Service Commission accepted the recommendation that Blair be fired.
An interim incumbent will be identified by the ministry.
In addition to his request to Ontario's ombudsman, Blair is also threatening to sue Ford, alleging that the premier damaged his reputation when Ford accused him of breaking the Police Services Act by speaking out against Taverner's hiring.
Taverner's appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5041873
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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Firing of deputy OPP commissioner sure looks like a political decision
It takes a certain kind of obliviousness or belligerence (or both) for a government to look at the situation of Justin Trudeau in Ottawa, who is seeing his sunny political reputation supernova into a galactic garbage fire, and say, “oooh, let’s do that!”
I mean, Trudeau’s situation in a nutshell is that he’s in trouble for a decision to remove someone from their job after what appears to be political interference in a supposedly independent decision regarding legal administration. When the provincial government announced the firing Monday of Deputy Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Brad Blair, it did so in a cloud of questions about political interference from the premier’s office in a supposedly independent hiring process, and created more such questions.
That growing cloud is smoke, and whether there’s a fire or not, it stinks. It smells absolutely foul.
Like everything about the appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP commissioner has from the beginning. It doesn’t matter whether it’s something rotten causing the stink or not, really. The stench itself is a problem.
If you missed the earlier episodes of this soap opera, it began when Taverner, a longtime personal and family friend of Premier Doug Ford was promoted several pay grades past dozens of other higher-ranking and more-likely-seeming candidates into the position heading the OPP.
Since the OPP is the agency that may, at some point if the situation arises, need to investigate the premier and his government — and could also plausibly need to investigate his political opponents — this in itself created the appearance of a likely conflict of interest.
One former OPP commissioner, Chris Lewis, said on TV immediately that while Taverner was a good officer, this was a case where “the fix was in.”
It looked worse when it came to light that after the job had been initially posted requiring applicants to have a rank of chief or deputy chief, it was rewritten and reposted to lower the qualifications, therefore making Taverner eligible. (Taverner, at age 72, was and is a superintendent with the Toronto police in Etobicoke.)
Then it turned out that one of the men interviewing the candidates was deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso, appointed by Ford to his new job from his old job where he was Taverner’s supervisor on the Toronto police, and all three men were chumming around in the time leading up to the hiring, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.
There were more concerns than even that raised about political interference in this by the premier. One of the people raising them was Deputy OPP Commissioner Blair. He requested the provincial ombudsman investigate, and is pursuing that request (which was turned down by the ombudsman) in court.
Now he’s doing so as a private citizen, since he just got canned from his job at the OPP. Just months ago, he was one of three candidates shortlisted to serve as commissioner. Today he’d out of his job as deputy. And who was responsible for firing him? Officially, deputy minister Di Tommaso. It says right there in the announcement.
Holy hell, the stench of this thing.
Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones, in a press conference dealing with aggressive questions from reporters on Monday about why her ministry had done it, claimed not to have had any say in the matter, other than making it official. She had no answers for how this decision came about — telling reporters to pursue such questions with civil servants because she didn’t know. What she was emphatic about was that neither she nor the premier had anything to do with it. That it was not a political decision.
No? It sure looks like a political decision. The possible political motivations are obvious. That appearance is, in itself, a problem. Because if people can legitimately believe, for good reasons, that it sure looks like the OPP is being turned into a political tool of the premier’s office, run by his friends to cater to his whims (pimping used vans or otherwise), then no amount of protesting about it not being what it looks like helps. A police department cannot serve its function without public confidence.
This is a case where all the “even ifs” zero out to a different course that should have been pursued. Even if Taverner was the best candidate for the job by some objective measure, his friendship with the premier and long relationship with the hiring deputy minister should have led them to a different decision. Even if a local force superintendent can leapfrog ranks to commissioner, this is not the case where one should. Even if it was now untenable for Blair to continue to serve, having Di Tommaso put the axe to him in the middle of a court process weighing his claims is exactly the wrong thing to do.
All of this signals to the public that, to use Lewis’ words, the fix is in. It signals that whether the fix actually is in or not. Rather than backing down on Taverner’s hiring, those involved have made it worse by firing Blair.
It stinks. Those involved either can’t smell it, or worse, they don’t care that we can. And all that’s at stake is the public legitimacy of the provincial police.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-co ... ision.html
I mean, Trudeau’s situation in a nutshell is that he’s in trouble for a decision to remove someone from their job after what appears to be political interference in a supposedly independent decision regarding legal administration. When the provincial government announced the firing Monday of Deputy Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Brad Blair, it did so in a cloud of questions about political interference from the premier’s office in a supposedly independent hiring process, and created more such questions.
That growing cloud is smoke, and whether there’s a fire or not, it stinks. It smells absolutely foul.
Like everything about the appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP commissioner has from the beginning. It doesn’t matter whether it’s something rotten causing the stink or not, really. The stench itself is a problem.
If you missed the earlier episodes of this soap opera, it began when Taverner, a longtime personal and family friend of Premier Doug Ford was promoted several pay grades past dozens of other higher-ranking and more-likely-seeming candidates into the position heading the OPP.
Since the OPP is the agency that may, at some point if the situation arises, need to investigate the premier and his government — and could also plausibly need to investigate his political opponents — this in itself created the appearance of a likely conflict of interest.
One former OPP commissioner, Chris Lewis, said on TV immediately that while Taverner was a good officer, this was a case where “the fix was in.”
It looked worse when it came to light that after the job had been initially posted requiring applicants to have a rank of chief or deputy chief, it was rewritten and reposted to lower the qualifications, therefore making Taverner eligible. (Taverner, at age 72, was and is a superintendent with the Toronto police in Etobicoke.)
Then it turned out that one of the men interviewing the candidates was deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso, appointed by Ford to his new job from his old job where he was Taverner’s supervisor on the Toronto police, and all three men were chumming around in the time leading up to the hiring, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.
There were more concerns than even that raised about political interference in this by the premier. One of the people raising them was Deputy OPP Commissioner Blair. He requested the provincial ombudsman investigate, and is pursuing that request (which was turned down by the ombudsman) in court.
Now he’s doing so as a private citizen, since he just got canned from his job at the OPP. Just months ago, he was one of three candidates shortlisted to serve as commissioner. Today he’d out of his job as deputy. And who was responsible for firing him? Officially, deputy minister Di Tommaso. It says right there in the announcement.
Holy hell, the stench of this thing.
Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones, in a press conference dealing with aggressive questions from reporters on Monday about why her ministry had done it, claimed not to have had any say in the matter, other than making it official. She had no answers for how this decision came about — telling reporters to pursue such questions with civil servants because she didn’t know. What she was emphatic about was that neither she nor the premier had anything to do with it. That it was not a political decision.
No? It sure looks like a political decision. The possible political motivations are obvious. That appearance is, in itself, a problem. Because if people can legitimately believe, for good reasons, that it sure looks like the OPP is being turned into a political tool of the premier’s office, run by his friends to cater to his whims (pimping used vans or otherwise), then no amount of protesting about it not being what it looks like helps. A police department cannot serve its function without public confidence.
This is a case where all the “even ifs” zero out to a different course that should have been pursued. Even if Taverner was the best candidate for the job by some objective measure, his friendship with the premier and long relationship with the hiring deputy minister should have led them to a different decision. Even if a local force superintendent can leapfrog ranks to commissioner, this is not the case where one should. Even if it was now untenable for Blair to continue to serve, having Di Tommaso put the axe to him in the middle of a court process weighing his claims is exactly the wrong thing to do.
All of this signals to the public that, to use Lewis’ words, the fix is in. It signals that whether the fix actually is in or not. Rather than backing down on Taverner’s hiring, those involved have made it worse by firing Blair.
It stinks. Those involved either can’t smell it, or worse, they don’t care that we can. And all that’s at stake is the public legitimacy of the provincial police.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-co ... ision.html
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Michael Jack
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Don’t mess with Justin Trudeau, or with Doug Ford
Both the prime minister and the Ontario premier find themselves embroiled in scandal. But one seems to be paying the price and the other isn’t.
On the surface, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford wouldn't seem to have a lot in common. But one characteristic they appear to share is their attitude toward those who cross them.
Jody Wilson-Raybould crossed Trudeau by not bending to his wishes — as expressed by PMO staff and the PM himself — for the justice minister to intervene in order to prevent criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin. His response? By most accounts, that refusal was a key reason Wilson-Raybould was shuffled from justice to veterans affairs. She didn't react well to the perceived "demotion," and the rest is history.
Now consider Doug Ford. That he's a pugnacious brawler is not a surprise. Toronto Mayor John Tory and urban councillors learned that the hard way when Ford, with no consultation or evidence, halved the size of Toronto's council to tilt the balance of power toward his cronies in the suburban communities — also known as Ford Nation.
Or, more recently, consider the case of Ontario Provincial Police deputy commissioner Brad Blair, fired Monday by the government, with the blessing of the Public Service Commission. Technically, the government says he was fired for sharing confidential internal information with the media. That's one version of the story. Here's another.
Blair was the interim OPP commissioner and was expected to get the job full time. Then, suddenly, Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner was announced as the successful candidate. He didn't have the same experience — in fact, he fell short of qualifying based on the government's own job-posting language. The government then altered that language so Taverner did qualify, and like magic, he got the job over more senior officers who met the original qualifications.
Taverner is a longtime friend and confidante of the Ford family, Doug Ford in particular. To his credit, when his controversial hiring blew up, he voluntarily asked that it be put on hold while the provincial integrity commissioner investigates the numerous calls of patronage and political interference in police business. The investigation continues.
One of those complainants was Blair, who argued Taverner's hiring was a slap in the face to more qualified candidates, and raised further fears of Ford manipulating the OPP like his private security force. He asked the ombudsman and ethics commissioner to investigate.
In the ombudsman court application, Blair included, as supporting material, internal police correspondence detailing the premier railing over not liking his security team, and also about the OPP not wanting to pay for luxurious accoutrements to the premier's security van. In part of that correspondence, Ford says: "I've asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already ... it feels like I'm not being heard, like I'm getting f***ed around by the OPP and I'm getting more pissed off."
"I'm going to call the commissioner and sort this out. This is the last straw." Ford also reportedly said: "If I have to, I will drive up there to see him (now-retired commissioner Vince Hawks) face-to-face so he can see how serious I am about this. If he can't sort this out, then maybe a new commissioner can make it happen."
Does that sound at all like Ford was trying to convince the OPP to do his bidding? If so, what else will he want? What if the OPP were called to investigate the government, as it was with the Wynne Liberals? Could the force credibly do so with a longtime Ford friend at the helm? What message does this send to anyone else disagreeing with Ford's direction and policies?
If you think all of this is smelly, you're right, just as the SNC-Lavalin case is. The difference is that Justin Trudeau is paying the price for his tactics, whereas Ford thinks he is — and apparently is — Teflon.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/9 ... doug-ford/
On the surface, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford wouldn't seem to have a lot in common. But one characteristic they appear to share is their attitude toward those who cross them.
Jody Wilson-Raybould crossed Trudeau by not bending to his wishes — as expressed by PMO staff and the PM himself — for the justice minister to intervene in order to prevent criminal prosecution against SNC-Lavalin. His response? By most accounts, that refusal was a key reason Wilson-Raybould was shuffled from justice to veterans affairs. She didn't react well to the perceived "demotion," and the rest is history.
Now consider Doug Ford. That he's a pugnacious brawler is not a surprise. Toronto Mayor John Tory and urban councillors learned that the hard way when Ford, with no consultation or evidence, halved the size of Toronto's council to tilt the balance of power toward his cronies in the suburban communities — also known as Ford Nation.
Or, more recently, consider the case of Ontario Provincial Police deputy commissioner Brad Blair, fired Monday by the government, with the blessing of the Public Service Commission. Technically, the government says he was fired for sharing confidential internal information with the media. That's one version of the story. Here's another.
Blair was the interim OPP commissioner and was expected to get the job full time. Then, suddenly, Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner was announced as the successful candidate. He didn't have the same experience — in fact, he fell short of qualifying based on the government's own job-posting language. The government then altered that language so Taverner did qualify, and like magic, he got the job over more senior officers who met the original qualifications.
Taverner is a longtime friend and confidante of the Ford family, Doug Ford in particular. To his credit, when his controversial hiring blew up, he voluntarily asked that it be put on hold while the provincial integrity commissioner investigates the numerous calls of patronage and political interference in police business. The investigation continues.
One of those complainants was Blair, who argued Taverner's hiring was a slap in the face to more qualified candidates, and raised further fears of Ford manipulating the OPP like his private security force. He asked the ombudsman and ethics commissioner to investigate.
In the ombudsman court application, Blair included, as supporting material, internal police correspondence detailing the premier railing over not liking his security team, and also about the OPP not wanting to pay for luxurious accoutrements to the premier's security van. In part of that correspondence, Ford says: "I've asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already ... it feels like I'm not being heard, like I'm getting f***ed around by the OPP and I'm getting more pissed off."
"I'm going to call the commissioner and sort this out. This is the last straw." Ford also reportedly said: "If I have to, I will drive up there to see him (now-retired commissioner Vince Hawks) face-to-face so he can see how serious I am about this. If he can't sort this out, then maybe a new commissioner can make it happen."
Does that sound at all like Ford was trying to convince the OPP to do his bidding? If so, what else will he want? What if the OPP were called to investigate the government, as it was with the Wynne Liberals? Could the force credibly do so with a longtime Ford friend at the helm? What message does this send to anyone else disagreeing with Ford's direction and policies?
If you think all of this is smelly, you're right, just as the SNC-Lavalin case is. The difference is that Justin Trudeau is paying the price for his tactics, whereas Ford thinks he is — and apparently is — Teflon.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/9 ... doug-ford/
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Boss Ford strikes again
Stephen Maher: Ontario’s premier seems determined to put his friend in charge of the OPP, which is much more worrying than L’affair SNC-Lavalin
On Monday, after a month in which Justin Trudeau’s government has been tearing itself apart over allegations of interference with the corruption prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, Ontario Premier Doug Ford fired the deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.
Without saying anything to take Trudeau off the petard on which he hoisted himself, it seems fair to point out that Ontarians would be wise to be as alarmed by what is happening in Toronto as what is happening in Ottawa.
Trudeau’s government is on the brink of collapse over allegations that he exerted improper pressure, so far as we know, for straightforward political reasons: to save jobs and help politicians who might help him in the upcoming election.
For his arrogance and foolishness, Trudeau is now being brought low by members of his cabinet: Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott’s resignations may yet bring him down, since if these front benchers no longer have confidence in him, how can voters?
Meanwhile, in Toronto, Ford is acting like the president of a banana republic, or the commissioner of Hazzard County, and his cabinet ministers are apparently all fine with that. They should not be.
Boss Ford is trying to put his friend, 72-year-old Ron Taverner, in charge of the 7,383-strong Ontario Provincial Police, although Taverner’s resume does not compare with his predecessors, or that of Brad Blair, the deputy commissioner.
When Boss Ford’s people decided to give the job to Taverner instead of Blair, Blair sued. In that case, he entered into evidence emails from Ford complaining about his protection detail and seeking an executive van, complete with big chairs and a TV, so he can ride around the province in style and comfort.
On Friday, Boss Ford’s hand-picked deputy minister of community safety, Mario Di Tommaso, wrote a letter firing Blair. Di Tomasso, who was Taverner’s boss in the Toronto Police Service, was on the three-person committee that hired him.
Boss Ford’s people are defending the decision on the grounds that Blair had no right to use Ford’s emails in his lawsuit.
A judge will eventually rule on that. Until that distant day, however, Ontario is being governed by Ford, who seems determined to put his friend in charge of the provincial police.
This is much more worrying than l’affair SNC-Lavalin, because the police must be independent of government, and this government seems not to have any understanding that.
I don’t recall any political leader doing something as dangerous and ham-handed as trying to put a crony at the head of a police force. Jean Chretien was thought to be too close to former RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli—whose intervention in the 2006 election torpedoed the campaign of Chretien’s enemy Paul Martin—but they weren’t drinking buddies.
There are few things more important in a democracy than keeping politicians from interfering in judicial processes and police business. It’s what separates Canada from banana republics, or Hazzard County.
But Boss Ford does not seem to appreciate that there is a line. And, unlike Trudeau, nobody in his cabinet is resigning or speaking out about the importance of the rule of law.
In November, Ford’s chief of staff, Dean French, is reported to have ordered the OPP to raid black market cannabis shops on the day weed became legal because he wanted to show “people in handcuffs,” presumably so the government could deliver a tough-on-crime message on TV.
That was shut down, but would it be next time? Jenni Byrne, the former Stephen Harper staffer who was a counterbalance to French, left Ford’s office in January. Insiders expect staffers close to her may follow her out the door.
French and Ford are now more firmly in control, and if they finally get Taverner into the top job at the OPP, the whole police force will be suspect every time it touches a file with political ramifications. This will be terrible for the public’s perception of the force.
Given the OPP’s crucial role in investigating wrongdoing by politicians, it is not acceptable to have the force run by someone so close to the premier.
And I think it is necessary to point out that there are reasons to wonder if Boss Ford is as personally committed to the rule of law as a premier should be.
Wilson-Raybould has rightly been lauded for standing up to Trudeau in defence of the rule of law. We can only hope that there are people as brave in Boss Ford’s cabinet.
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/long-live-the-king/
On Monday, after a month in which Justin Trudeau’s government has been tearing itself apart over allegations of interference with the corruption prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, Ontario Premier Doug Ford fired the deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.
Without saying anything to take Trudeau off the petard on which he hoisted himself, it seems fair to point out that Ontarians would be wise to be as alarmed by what is happening in Toronto as what is happening in Ottawa.
Trudeau’s government is on the brink of collapse over allegations that he exerted improper pressure, so far as we know, for straightforward political reasons: to save jobs and help politicians who might help him in the upcoming election.
For his arrogance and foolishness, Trudeau is now being brought low by members of his cabinet: Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott’s resignations may yet bring him down, since if these front benchers no longer have confidence in him, how can voters?
Meanwhile, in Toronto, Ford is acting like the president of a banana republic, or the commissioner of Hazzard County, and his cabinet ministers are apparently all fine with that. They should not be.
Boss Ford is trying to put his friend, 72-year-old Ron Taverner, in charge of the 7,383-strong Ontario Provincial Police, although Taverner’s resume does not compare with his predecessors, or that of Brad Blair, the deputy commissioner.
When Boss Ford’s people decided to give the job to Taverner instead of Blair, Blair sued. In that case, he entered into evidence emails from Ford complaining about his protection detail and seeking an executive van, complete with big chairs and a TV, so he can ride around the province in style and comfort.
On Friday, Boss Ford’s hand-picked deputy minister of community safety, Mario Di Tommaso, wrote a letter firing Blair. Di Tomasso, who was Taverner’s boss in the Toronto Police Service, was on the three-person committee that hired him.
Boss Ford’s people are defending the decision on the grounds that Blair had no right to use Ford’s emails in his lawsuit.
A judge will eventually rule on that. Until that distant day, however, Ontario is being governed by Ford, who seems determined to put his friend in charge of the provincial police.
This is much more worrying than l’affair SNC-Lavalin, because the police must be independent of government, and this government seems not to have any understanding that.
I don’t recall any political leader doing something as dangerous and ham-handed as trying to put a crony at the head of a police force. Jean Chretien was thought to be too close to former RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli—whose intervention in the 2006 election torpedoed the campaign of Chretien’s enemy Paul Martin—but they weren’t drinking buddies.
There are few things more important in a democracy than keeping politicians from interfering in judicial processes and police business. It’s what separates Canada from banana republics, or Hazzard County.
But Boss Ford does not seem to appreciate that there is a line. And, unlike Trudeau, nobody in his cabinet is resigning or speaking out about the importance of the rule of law.
In November, Ford’s chief of staff, Dean French, is reported to have ordered the OPP to raid black market cannabis shops on the day weed became legal because he wanted to show “people in handcuffs,” presumably so the government could deliver a tough-on-crime message on TV.
That was shut down, but would it be next time? Jenni Byrne, the former Stephen Harper staffer who was a counterbalance to French, left Ford’s office in January. Insiders expect staffers close to her may follow her out the door.
French and Ford are now more firmly in control, and if they finally get Taverner into the top job at the OPP, the whole police force will be suspect every time it touches a file with political ramifications. This will be terrible for the public’s perception of the force.
Given the OPP’s crucial role in investigating wrongdoing by politicians, it is not acceptable to have the force run by someone so close to the premier.
And I think it is necessary to point out that there are reasons to wonder if Boss Ford is as personally committed to the rule of law as a premier should be.
Wilson-Raybould has rightly been lauded for standing up to Trudeau in defence of the rule of law. We can only hope that there are people as brave in Boss Ford’s cabinet.
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/long-live-the-king/
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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Politics not a factor in Brad Blair firing: Jones
Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones denies there was political involvement in the firing of deputy OPP commissioner Brad Blair who challenged the government’s handling of the new chief’s hiring.
“I was notified; I was not asked for permission. I was not asked for advice,” Jones said of the decision to terminate Blair.
Opposition MPPs called for a full airing of the decision which they argued smacked of political revenge. Blair had launched legal action to get the ombudsman’s office to review the decision to hire Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner as the next chief of the OPP.
Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers formally asked justice committee Chair Parm Gill to call Jones’ deputy minister, Mario Di Tommaso, to explain the process that was followed to fire Blair.
“(Was) Di Tommaso asked by his minister or by the premier’s office or did he inform them of the fact that he was preparing to go and lay disciplinary charges in front of the Public Service Commission?” Des Rosiers said. “We don’t know what triggered this dismissal.”
Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner said Premier Doug Ford should now do the “right thing” and announce that Taverner is no longer in the running for the position.
“This premier has a track record and a history of hiring his friends and giving them high-paid jobs,” he said, calling for a public inquiry into the situation.
Later in the legislature, Jones stood up to provide a statement about the dismissal:
“All public servants take an oath of office; it appears this oath was breached,” Jones said. “In addition … the Police Services Act expressly prohibits a police officer from communication to the media without proper authority.”
Blair’s letter to the ombudsman, in which he requested an investigation of Taverner’s appointment, contained confidential OPP information, she said. In the letter, Blair criticized the appointment of Taverner — a Ford family friend — to the OPP’s top post, and revealed that the premier’s office had requested a modified van for his transportation.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/ ... ring-jones
“I was notified; I was not asked for permission. I was not asked for advice,” Jones said of the decision to terminate Blair.
Opposition MPPs called for a full airing of the decision which they argued smacked of political revenge. Blair had launched legal action to get the ombudsman’s office to review the decision to hire Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner as the next chief of the OPP.
Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers formally asked justice committee Chair Parm Gill to call Jones’ deputy minister, Mario Di Tommaso, to explain the process that was followed to fire Blair.
“(Was) Di Tommaso asked by his minister or by the premier’s office or did he inform them of the fact that he was preparing to go and lay disciplinary charges in front of the Public Service Commission?” Des Rosiers said. “We don’t know what triggered this dismissal.”
Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner said Premier Doug Ford should now do the “right thing” and announce that Taverner is no longer in the running for the position.
“This premier has a track record and a history of hiring his friends and giving them high-paid jobs,” he said, calling for a public inquiry into the situation.
Later in the legislature, Jones stood up to provide a statement about the dismissal:
“All public servants take an oath of office; it appears this oath was breached,” Jones said. “In addition … the Police Services Act expressly prohibits a police officer from communication to the media without proper authority.”
Blair’s letter to the ombudsman, in which he requested an investigation of Taverner’s appointment, contained confidential OPP information, she said. In the letter, Blair criticized the appointment of Taverner — a Ford family friend — to the OPP’s top post, and revealed that the premier’s office had requested a modified van for his transportation.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/ ... ring-jones
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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Fired OPP senior officer alleges reprisal for concerns about Ford friend job
TORONTO — A high-ranking provincial police officer who was fired Monday alleges it is reprisal for waging a legal battle over the appointment of a friend of the premier’s as commissioner.
Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new Ontario Provincial Police commissioner.
The government has denied any political interference in Blair’s firing, and said the decision to fire him came from the public service because Blair released confidential OPP information through his court filings.
Blair was fired by Mario Di Tommaso, deputy minister of community safety, and Blair alleges that was a conflict of interest because Di Tommaso was part of the hiring panel that selected Taverner and is therefore part of the case before the court.
“It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me, and that this reprisal is directly connected to my good faith efforts to seek redress before the Divisional Court and the provincial ombudsman,” Blair writes in an affidavit filed Tuesday in court.
If there were concerns about the material Blair was filing in court being in the public realm, the attorney general could have asked the court to seal the documents, Blair writes.
Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Sylvia Jones said Blair breached his duties as a police officer and as a public servant.
“No one is above the law,” she said in the legislature. “This individual chose to sully the reputation of the excellent OPP officers who serve our public and the people of Ontario. He was terminated as a result.”
Blair initially requested an ombudsman investigation into Taverner’s appointment in December, amid what he called “growing concerns of political interference” in the hiring process. He said it had deeply affected the morale of rank-and-file officers.
The NDP is calling for a public inquiry into the whole situation.
Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the requirements listed for the commissioner position. The Ford government has admitted it lowered the requirements for the position to attract a wider range of candidates. His appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation into his hiring.
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/c ... friend-job
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/fired-opp- ... -1.4322957
https://globalnews.ca/news/5022483/brad ... missioner/
https://thepeakfm.com/news/5022483/brad ... missioner/
https://ottawacitizen.com/pmn/news-pmn/ ... a53d381189
Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new Ontario Provincial Police commissioner.
The government has denied any political interference in Blair’s firing, and said the decision to fire him came from the public service because Blair released confidential OPP information through his court filings.
Blair was fired by Mario Di Tommaso, deputy minister of community safety, and Blair alleges that was a conflict of interest because Di Tommaso was part of the hiring panel that selected Taverner and is therefore part of the case before the court.
“It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me, and that this reprisal is directly connected to my good faith efforts to seek redress before the Divisional Court and the provincial ombudsman,” Blair writes in an affidavit filed Tuesday in court.
If there were concerns about the material Blair was filing in court being in the public realm, the attorney general could have asked the court to seal the documents, Blair writes.
Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Sylvia Jones said Blair breached his duties as a police officer and as a public servant.
“No one is above the law,” she said in the legislature. “This individual chose to sully the reputation of the excellent OPP officers who serve our public and the people of Ontario. He was terminated as a result.”
Blair initially requested an ombudsman investigation into Taverner’s appointment in December, amid what he called “growing concerns of political interference” in the hiring process. He said it had deeply affected the morale of rank-and-file officers.
The NDP is calling for a public inquiry into the whole situation.
Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the requirements listed for the commissioner position. The Ford government has admitted it lowered the requirements for the position to attract a wider range of candidates. His appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation into his hiring.
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/c ... friend-job
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/fired-opp- ... -1.4322957
https://globalnews.ca/news/5022483/brad ... missioner/
https://thepeakfm.com/news/5022483/brad ... missioner/
https://ottawacitizen.com/pmn/news-pmn/ ... a53d381189
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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Fired OPP senior officer alleges reprisal for concerns about Ford friend job
TORONTO — A high-ranking provincial police officer who was fired Monday alleges it is reprisal for waging a legal battle over the appointment of a friend of the premier’s as commissioner.
Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new Ontario Provincial Police commissioner.
The government has denied any political interference in Blair’s firing, and says he has released confidential OPP information through his court filings.
Deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso was the one who fired Blair, and Blair alleges that was a conflict of interest because Di Tommaso was part of the hiring panel that selected Taverner and is therefore part of the case before the court.
Blair filed court documents today in which he argues that his firing by Di Tommaso is an attempt to “muzzle” him and is directly connected to what he calls his “good faith efforts” to try to get the ombudsman to investigate.
https://ottawasun.com/news/provincial/f ... 20140068b3
Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new Ontario Provincial Police commissioner.
The government has denied any political interference in Blair’s firing, and says he has released confidential OPP information through his court filings.
Deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso was the one who fired Blair, and Blair alleges that was a conflict of interest because Di Tommaso was part of the hiring panel that selected Taverner and is therefore part of the case before the court.
Blair filed court documents today in which he argues that his firing by Di Tommaso is an attempt to “muzzle” him and is directly connected to what he calls his “good faith efforts” to try to get the ombudsman to investigate.
https://ottawasun.com/news/provincial/f ... 20140068b3
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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OPP veteran says firing by Ford government is ‘reprisal’ for Taverner lawsuit
An outspoken OPP commander says his termination this week is reprisal for his ongoing legal battle over the hiring of Premier Doug Ford’s friend as the next provincial police commissioner.
Brad Blair, a former deputy commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police, was fired on Monday after 32 years on the job. He has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner and filed multiple internal e-mails he alleges show political interference in police operations by the Ford government.
The government has denied allegations of political interference, and said Mr. Blair breached his oath of office by releasing internal OPP documents. In a letter added to the court file, the Premier again said he was not involved in the hiring of Supt. Taverner.
The NDP on Tuesday called for a public inquiry into the matter.
Mr. Blair was fired in person by deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso, whom Mr. Blair alleges in court documents was in a conflict of interest because he was involved in the hiring of Supt. Taverner and is part of the court case. Mr. Di Tommaso was also Supt. Taverner’s boss at the Toronto Police Service before being appointed as deputy minister of Community Safety last fall by the Ford government.
“It is clear by [Monday’s] actions regarding my termination, that deputy minister Di Tommaso does not appreciate what a conflict of interest is,” Mr. Blair writes in an affidavit.
“It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me.”
In his hand-delivered letter explaining Mr. Blair’s termination, Mr. Di Tommaso says Mr. Blair failed to heed his warning about respecting confidentiality when the former OPP commander recently filed internal OPP e-mails with the court.
He accused the veteran officer, who was in the running for the commissioner job, of attempting “to use your professional status to further your private interests.”
“Your failure to comply with my clear directions in furtherance of legal proceedings brought in your personal capacity has ruptured the trust on which the employment relationship is built,” Mr. Di Tommaso said.
Documents filed in court on Tuesday also include a letter from Mr. Ford to the province’s integrity commissioner, who is currently investigating the matter. Mr. Blair has asked the ombudsman to further probe the hiring, arguing the scope and powers of that office are broader.
In his nine-page letter to Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake, Mr. Ford confirms that he has known Supt. Taverner personally for many years, but denied being involved in his hiring as the next OPP commissioner. That appointment has been put on hold pending Mr. Wake’s review.
Mr. Ford outlines the recruitment process for OPP commissioner and said he is aware the job posting for the position was changed on Oct. 22 following discussions of the selection panel, comprised of search firm Odgers Berndtson, then-cabinet secretary Steve Orsini and Mr. Di Tommaso. The changes removed a rank requirement that would have made it impossible for Supt. Taverner to apply.
“I reject any assertion that this change was made to specifically permit Mr. Taverner's application for the position,” Mr. Ford writes in his letter.
“I would agree that some of the allegations that have arisen could have been avoided had the ranking requirements been removed from the job ad before its original posting. However, I believe the change was made in a good-faith effort to ensure a broad and inclusive recruitment process and provides no evidence of any improper activity by me, my office or any individual working on my behalf.”
Mr. Ford also defends his decision not to recuse himself from cabinet when Supt. Taverner’s appointment was finalized, arguing the selection panel had already chosen his friend for the job.
“While I did not recuse myself from that meeting, I ensured that cabinet members were aware of my personal friendship with Mr. Taverner,” Mr. Ford said.
“Having said that, I respect that as the lntegrity Commissioner, you may have a view as to whether I made the correct choice to remain at this cabinet meeting. I will ultimately respect your advice on this matter, but would respectfully submit that my attendance must be considered in light of the overall recruitment process.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... -taverner/
Brad Blair, a former deputy commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police, was fired on Monday after 32 years on the job. He has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner and filed multiple internal e-mails he alleges show political interference in police operations by the Ford government.
The government has denied allegations of political interference, and said Mr. Blair breached his oath of office by releasing internal OPP documents. In a letter added to the court file, the Premier again said he was not involved in the hiring of Supt. Taverner.
The NDP on Tuesday called for a public inquiry into the matter.
Mr. Blair was fired in person by deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso, whom Mr. Blair alleges in court documents was in a conflict of interest because he was involved in the hiring of Supt. Taverner and is part of the court case. Mr. Di Tommaso was also Supt. Taverner’s boss at the Toronto Police Service before being appointed as deputy minister of Community Safety last fall by the Ford government.
“It is clear by [Monday’s] actions regarding my termination, that deputy minister Di Tommaso does not appreciate what a conflict of interest is,” Mr. Blair writes in an affidavit.
“It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me.”
In his hand-delivered letter explaining Mr. Blair’s termination, Mr. Di Tommaso says Mr. Blair failed to heed his warning about respecting confidentiality when the former OPP commander recently filed internal OPP e-mails with the court.
He accused the veteran officer, who was in the running for the commissioner job, of attempting “to use your professional status to further your private interests.”
“Your failure to comply with my clear directions in furtherance of legal proceedings brought in your personal capacity has ruptured the trust on which the employment relationship is built,” Mr. Di Tommaso said.
Documents filed in court on Tuesday also include a letter from Mr. Ford to the province’s integrity commissioner, who is currently investigating the matter. Mr. Blair has asked the ombudsman to further probe the hiring, arguing the scope and powers of that office are broader.
In his nine-page letter to Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake, Mr. Ford confirms that he has known Supt. Taverner personally for many years, but denied being involved in his hiring as the next OPP commissioner. That appointment has been put on hold pending Mr. Wake’s review.
Mr. Ford outlines the recruitment process for OPP commissioner and said he is aware the job posting for the position was changed on Oct. 22 following discussions of the selection panel, comprised of search firm Odgers Berndtson, then-cabinet secretary Steve Orsini and Mr. Di Tommaso. The changes removed a rank requirement that would have made it impossible for Supt. Taverner to apply.
“I reject any assertion that this change was made to specifically permit Mr. Taverner's application for the position,” Mr. Ford writes in his letter.
“I would agree that some of the allegations that have arisen could have been avoided had the ranking requirements been removed from the job ad before its original posting. However, I believe the change was made in a good-faith effort to ensure a broad and inclusive recruitment process and provides no evidence of any improper activity by me, my office or any individual working on my behalf.”
Mr. Ford also defends his decision not to recuse himself from cabinet when Supt. Taverner’s appointment was finalized, arguing the selection panel had already chosen his friend for the job.
“While I did not recuse myself from that meeting, I ensured that cabinet members were aware of my personal friendship with Mr. Taverner,” Mr. Ford said.
“Having said that, I respect that as the lntegrity Commissioner, you may have a view as to whether I made the correct choice to remain at this cabinet meeting. I will ultimately respect your advice on this matter, but would respectfully submit that my attendance must be considered in light of the overall recruitment process.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... -taverner/
Michael Jack, Administrator