“The truth will come out,” Stiles’ ethics complaint opens investigation into Ford’s Minister of Labour

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition has issued the following statement in response to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario launching an ethics probe into Ford’s Minister of Labour regarding his involvement with the Skills Development Fund:

"For seven weeks, we gave Ford’s Minister of Labour the opportunity to come clean about his involvement in the Skills Development Fund. Instead of being honest with the people of Ontario, he deflected, threw excuses, and even had the Premier defend him.

“The Ford government can’t help themselves – they keep treating the people’s hard earned tax dollars as their personal piggy bank. It shouldn’t take an ethics investigation to get some honesty from the government, but here we are.

“The truth will come out, and the people of Ontario will finally have the answers they deserve.”

Background:

• Stiles filed an ethics complaint against David Piccini in November
• The complaint calls on the Integrity Commissioner to investigate Piccini for alleged contravention of Sections 2, 3, 4, 6, and 16 of the Member’s Integrity Act in his decisions surrounding the administration of the Skills Development Fund program.
• In her complaint, Stiles calls out preferential treatment for donors and insiders, the Minister’s close connections with low-scoring applicants who received millions in government funds, and issues of fairness and transparency that were raised by the Auditor General.
• The Integrity Commissioner has confirmed that they are investigating the Minister because he may have contravened sections 2,3,4,6, and 16 of the Members’ Integrity Act, following Stiles’ complaint.
• The Integrity Commissioner has also confirmed that the inquiry will be conducted under Section 31 of the act, and exercising the powers under section 33 of the Public Inquiries Act, therefore, may be compelling witnesses to testify.