Premier denies stifling documentary
Opposition slams film’s axing as ‘frightening’ lack of transparency in leadership
Premier Kathleen Wynne insists she and her aides are not trying to suppress a controversial new behindthe-scenes documentary about her.
As first disclosed by the Star, TVOntario has cancelled plans to broadcast Premier: The Unscripted Kathleen Wynne after the film’s director quit in protest.
Roxana Spicer resigned from the ambitious project after a testy meeting with Wynne advisers three weeks ago during which they demanded to view the entire film before agreeing to sign release forms.
“I wouldn’t have agreed to do it if I didn’t believe people had a right to know how our government works. I hope it can be seen,” Wynne said Friday.
The premier said she wanted to participate in the film — produced by Peter Raymont, who directed a 1978 documentary on former premier Bill Davis titled The Art of the Possible — to show Ontarians how government works.
“I was persuaded to do this video because I had watched the video of Bill Davis, which was lovely, but everybody was a man and everybody was smoking. It was a very different time and so I thought it was a good idea to have an update,” she said.
But Wynne stressed “there was a scope of the plan, there was a scope of the project,” which was supposed to focus on the weeks leading up to Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s April 23 budget.
“I haven’t seen any of the footage. I’ve had to leave it to folks to see whether the footage is within the scope of the project,” she said.
Sources who have seen the film say it concentrates on the Feb. 5 Sudbury byelection that is now the subject of an Ontario Provincial Police probe into allegations the Liberals tried to bribe Andrew Olivier not to run for the Liberal candidacy.
Pat Sorbara, Wynne’s deputy chief of staff, and Sudbury Liberal activist Gerry Lougheed are being investigated after Olivier was alleged to have been offered a job to step aside for federal NDP defector Glenn Thibeault.
Sorbara, who was interviewed for the documentary, and Lougheed have denied any wrongdoing and no charges have been laid.
Wynne emphasized her aides, who screened eight minutes of the 14 minutes brought to the meeting that led to Spicer quitting, are not trying to exert editorial control.
“That was absolutely not our intention at all. We knew it was going to be an independent project — as it should be — but there was a scope of the project and I think that that’s where the discussion is right now,” she said.
Her officials were viewing some flyon-the-wall footage — as per an agreement with producer Raymont — to ensure it did not violate cabinet secrecy or anyone’s privacy.
John Ferri, TVO’s vice-president of current affairs and documentaries, said the provincial public broadcaster axed its plan to air the film next month after Spicer resigned.
“There were essentially two visions for this film — one that met our journalistic standards and one that didn’t,” Ferri said, noting “we continue to support the director’s vision for the film.” TVO is now demanding White Pine Pictures, Raymont’s production company, repay a $114,075 advance for not delivering a documentary with a director attached and all release forms signed.
Raymont said Thursday he’s hopeful the film can still air
But his split with Spicer, who declined to discuss her departure, and the lack of signed errors and omissions insurance release forms could tie it up indefinitely.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwarth said it was ironic that Wynne is always “crowing” about openness and transparency in government.
“I put the blame here more on the premier than anything else. It is quite frightening that the most open and transparent premier in the history of the world has decided she doesn’t want this film to see the light of day,” Horwath said.
“That’s worrisome. That’s a Stephen Harper-type tactic.”
Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said “the stifling of the TVO documentary on her government appears to be yet another example of her showing she doesn’t really believe in the transparency she likes to talk about.” EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Benzie, the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief, was among the journalists interviewed by Roxana Spicer and her crew. Benzie met with Spicer once at Queen’s Park and once in the Star newsroom, but he has not seen any footage from the film. He signed an errors and omissions insurance release form after the first of two interviews.