(Jun 25, 2007)
Kitchener: The Record
Andre Marin, the provincial ombud, has raised a tough question that Premier Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government should answer.
He has accused the government of ignoring his office, setting up outsiders to investigate problems that really should be on the ombud's agenda.
Marin, who did fine work earlier this year in exposing problems in the Ontario lottery organization was specifically concerned about Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter's decision to hire an outside lawyer to look into whether Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino breached the Police Services Act. Fantino wrote an e-mail note to politicians in Caledonia that suggested they were encouraging divisive rallies against the policing of the community, which has been divided by an aboriginal land dispute.
The ombud has suggested the government prefers to use outsiders because by doing so it can maintain better control of the investigation.
He has made a plausible accusation. Politicians in any party may prefer to have an investigation launched by a specific person who they feel may be more sympathetic to them than an independent organization such as the ombud's office. In general, politicians will avoid criticism if they possibly can.
The problem that McGuinty's government faces -- or, perhaps, the problem the government might face in future -- is that the results of investigations by outsiders may become so suspect that the residents of the province lose faith in them.
The residents of Ontario may be more willing to forgive a government for making a mistake than for avoiding a full investigation. In general, the Liberals have run a clean government. They have more to lose than to gain if they start blocking full investigations.