“In Niagara we expect the Parks to run free from political interference. Yet this government has been stacking the Niagara Parks Commission with failed Conservative politicians and friends. It’s odd they would suddenly remove a long-time Conservative insider like Mr. Maves.” – Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates
News from Ontario’s New Democratic Party
Posted November 27th on Niagara At Large
QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls riding) has questioned Ford and his Conservative Government about the silent removal of the Vice-Chair of the Niagara Parks Commission and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.
Why has former Ontario Conservative MPP Bart Maves been removed from the boards of two key Niagara -based commissions by the current Ontario Conservative government that appointed him? Why has the Ford government so far not disclosed the reason for Maves’ removal?
Former Ontario Conservative MPP and lobbyist, Bart Maves, was quietly removed as Vice-Chair from the Niagara Parks Commission this (past)week with no notice or explanation, raising questions about Ford’s corrupt pattern of appointing political insiders to important boards.
“The Niagara Parks Commission is a key part of our tourism industry in Niagara and the 40,000 jobs it supports – not to mention their role in preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Niagara River,” said Gates.
“In Niagara we expect the Parks to run free from political interference. Yet this government has been stacking the Niagara Parks Commission with failed Conservative politicians and friends. It’s odd they would suddenly remove a long-time Conservative insider like Mr. Maves. Is there more to this story?
We need to have confidence that the people making important choices for Niagara’s vital tourism industry are the best qualified for the job – not just friends of Ford.”
A Brief Footnote from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper –
The Niagara Parks Commission and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission are public bodies that perform very important roles regionally and provincially.
So when one of their board members, in the name of former provincial Conservative Party and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is suddenly removed from those key bodies by the same Conservative government that appointed them, members of the public certainly have the right to know why.
The continued lack of transparency on why Maves was removed from these commissions understandably raises questions about what was going on here and what the Ford government may have to hide around Maves’ dismissal.
Why would an Ontario Conservative government remove an individual it appointed to these commissions who was a member of the Conservative government ?
Something seems very off here and the public deserves a full and open answer. Secrecy is not an option.
All of this in the wake of backroom deals Ford government representative made with friendly developers over carving up Greenbelt lands and the RCMP investigation now underway there.
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If the Premier won’t answer why Vice Chair Bart Maves was removed from his position maybe the former MPP conservative candidate April Jeffs can. After losing to NDP MPP Jeff Burch, Mr. Ford conveniently appointed her as Chair of the Niagara Parks Commission and if I remember correctly Ms. Jeffs ran on the words of being open and transparent, just like the Premier.
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