A Foreword by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper
December 17th, 2015
For more than four years now, decisions by the former Ontario Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty to scrap plans to build a gas-fired power plant in Oakville and walk away from another partially built power plant in Mississauga, before and during a hotly contested provincial election in the fall of 2011, have dogged McGuinty and his predecessor – the current Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Former Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. Two of his former senior staff now face criminal charges in gas plant scandal.
Later news, that the McGuinty governments decision to abandon the Oakville and Mississauga sites because of the strong opposition plans to operate the power plants there drew from residents in those communities cost more than a billion dollars, understandably enraged Ontario taxpayers.
Then there were the allegations that thousands of pieces of emails and other records in the Premier’s office were destroyed that elevated the whole affair to a scandal that had members of the Conservative and New Democratic Parties calling for an Ontario Provincial Police investigation, which was launched two and a half years ago.
And now finally, on this December 17th, 2015, two individuals who were about as senior as you can get in McGiuinty’s office when he was premier, have been charged with criminal offences that could get them up to 10 years in jail.
Those former staff members are David Livingston, who was McGuinty’s chief of staff, and Laura Miller, who was deputy chief of staff in the office. They have each been charged with one count of breach of trust, one of mischief around the handling of data in the office, and one of misusing computers to commit mischief.
No charges have been laid against McGuinty and the OPP’s investigation of the gas plant affair is apparently not over. And this December 17th, McGuinty’s lawyer Ronald Caza released the following statement; “In June 2014, the OPP stated that Mr. McGuinty had been cooperative in their investigation and was not the subject of their investigation,” said the statement. “Today’s events again confirm there was no wrongdoing on the part of the former premier.”
As for the current Premier Kathleen Wynne, who served in cabinet while McGuinty was premier, she has always insisted she had nothing to do with the matters under investigation and stressed this December 17th that the individuals charged never served in her office.
Now before I posted below the media releases the Conservatives and NDP circulated on these OPP charges and you then get your turn to comment, let me remind you that there are libel and defamation laws in this country and people are innocent until proven guilty.
That is my way of saying that as angry as people understandably get over the huge waste of money here and everything else that adds to the stink around this affair, we all have to be careful that we don’t go too far and say something that can land us in court.
That’s why I will be using much judgement as a journalist when moderating comments that come this way and, as always, will only post comments from people that attach their real first and last names to them. Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Now here, one after the other, are the comments to the charges from the Conservatives and NDP.
Accountability Needed in Premier’s Office After OPP Charges Against Liberal Operatives
From the Office of Ontario Conservative Opposition Leader Patrick Brown
Queen’s Park, Ontario, December 17th, 2015 – Today, the Ontario Provincial Police announced they have laid breach of trust and mischief charges against David Livingston, former Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Chief of Staff, and Laura Miller, former Deputy Chief of Staff, following the completion of an almost two year investigation.
Ontario Conservative Patrick Brown
“It’s a disgrace that in the past three years there have been serious allegations levied against several high-ranking officials in the Government of Ontario,” said Patrick Brown, Leader of the Official Opposition. “Now the OPP has confirmed that the actions of prominent Liberal operative Gerry Lougheed Jr., and Premier McGuinty’s Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff warrant criminal charges. How many key decision-makers in the Liberal Party need to be charged before the Premier will take responsibility?”
Livingston and Miller are being charged in connection with the destruction of emails related to the cancellation of the two gas fired power plants leading up to the transition period to the Wynne administration in early 2013.
“Government officials must uphold the integrity, transparency and lawfulness their positions require, and Ontarians deserve,” Leader Patrick Brown added. “Premier Wynne campaigned on accountability and transparency, and Ontarians thought she would be different. I don’t know what Kathleen Wynne can do to restore credibility to the Office of the Premier now that the OPP has laid charges against top Liberal operatives.”
Leader Patrick Brown concluded, “We need to remember that this is not the end of the OPP investigations into the Premier’s Office. Pat Sorbara, Premier Wynne’s Deputy Chief of Staff is still the subject of an OPP investigation of alleged breach of the Elections Act in relation to the Sudbury by-election scandal.”
A Statement By Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath On OPP Charges For More Top Liberals
From the Office of NDP Leader Andrea Horwath
Queen’s Park, Ontario, January 17th, 2015 – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath issued the following statement on OPP charges for more top Liberals
“Ontarians have every reason to be disappointed by the news that more top Liberal aides to the Premier’s Office are being charged by the OPP. People expect better from government. This government has grown increasingly out of touch, preferring to put its own interests ahead of those of Ontarians.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath
The Premier promised that the corruption of the gas plants was over, but still refuses to accept responsibility for decisions that she helped to make at the cabinet table. Ontarians are aware that charges have also been laid against a Liberal operative in the Sudbury by-election scandal and more may yet be pending.
Ontarians deserve a government that holds itself to the highest ethical standards and puts the public interest first – a government for all Ontarians”
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.
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