Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his labour minister will cooperate with an investigation from the integrity commissioner over the government’s handling of the $2.5 billion skills development fund.
The integrity commissioner on Thursday accepted opposition requests to investigate whether Piccini and “contravened sections of the (Members’ Integrity) Act in relation to the application and selection process of the Skills Development Fund Training Stream.”
The auditor revealed that companies that retained lobbyists had been able to secure funding despite having low or medium-scoring applications, and that the majority of high-scoring applications were rejected.
“I know he’ll cooperate with the integrity commissioner,” Ford said at an unrelated event in Buffalo, New York.
“This SDF — we call it skills development fund — you heard the governor say they’re investing $40 million, we’ve invested $2.5 billion, we’ve trained over 750,000 people, already 100,000 people found jobs.”
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After the question about the skills development fund, staff at the event said questions had to be “on-topic.” Ford then walked away from the microphone as an Ontario journalist tried to ask a follow-up.
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Earlier in the day, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called for Piccini to resign.
“They were ranked low for a reason,” she said. “Then the Minister of Labour and his staff got in there and moved them from the bottom of the list to the top of the pile.”
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While Piccini has acknowledged that he intervened in the process, overruled civil servants who ranked applications and personally selected projects for funding, the minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Still, both the NDP and Liberals are calling on the minister to recuse himself from overseeing the next round of funding as the government considers which applications will receive more than $250 million in Ontario taxpayer funds.
“If Doug Ford lacks the spine to fire David Piccini, I am calling on the minister to step aside now,” said Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth. “He should not be anywhere near round six of the Skills Development Fund, because this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Stiles echoed that sentiment, saying deserving recipients might be unfairly tainted with the scandal because of Piccini’s involvement.
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“I don’t think it’s helping anyone to have him there,” Stiles said. “Everything he touches right now is going to be associated with this scandal.
While the timeline for the investigation remains unclear, the integrity commissioner has wide-ranging powers to conduct an investigation, including interviewing people under oath.
The ethics watchdog is also expected to use Section 33 of the Public Inquiries Act, which grants the office the power to summon witnesses and produce evidence.
“As required by the Act, a report will be filed with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario once the inquiry has been concluded,” the integrity commissioner’s office said in a statement.
Piccini’s office said he would co-operate with the investigation and argued the skills development fund had been a success, leading to more people finding jobs.
“We are continuing to assist the Integrity Commissioner with her work on this file,” a spokesperson said.
