Ford blasts OPP deputy over complaint

Premier says Blair violated Police Services Act, defends Taverner’s credentials for top job

Premier Doug Ford is accusing Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair of violating the Police Services Act for complaining about Ron Taverner’s controversial appointment as the next OPP commissioner.

Rallying behind his embattled chum Taverner, Ford lashed out at Blair, who served as interim OPP head until Saturday, for suggesting in a letter there was political interference in elevating a 72year-old Toronto police superintendent to run the provincial force.

Ford would not say how specifically Blair had violated the Police Services Act.

“There’s a lot of misinformation going out there,” the premier said Tuesday of Blair’s formal complaint to the Ontario ombudsman.

It was Ford’s first news conference since the Taverner debacle erupted again last week over concerns about potential conflicts of interest for an OPP boss who is a pal of the premier.

The appointment is in limbo while Integrity commissioner J. David Wake investigates whether Ford personally played a role in the hiring of Taverner, who has attended family barbecues and Ford Fest events.

“I could sit here and give you all the items that weren’t accurate in that letter and there’s endless ones. I could give you a list of all the Police (Services) Act that was broken throughout that whole letter.

“I’m going to . . . take the high road and I’m going to let the review go through.” PREMIER DOUG FORD, SPEAKING ABOUT INTEGRITY COMMISIONER’S REVIEW OF RON TAVERNER’S APPOINTMENT

“But none of you want to report on that,” Ford said, accusing the media of being “a little slanted” in its coverage.

The Police Services Act lists the duties of police officers and governs how police services operate in Ontario.

It’s unclear what the premier was referring to when he accused Blair of violating the Act. If Ford was accusing Blair of revealing secret information, the Act is largely silent about such matters.

The only confidentiality clause in the Act is in a section called “complaints and disciplinary proceedings,” which deals with how internal or public complaints — usually about a police officer — must be dealt with.

Blair’s lawyer warned his client will not be cowed in his court quest for an ombudsman’s investigation.

“As for personal shots by the premier, no amount of intimidation or insult will deter the deputy commissioner from seeking a full airing of these issues,” Julian Falconer said.

Blair’s letter alleged the premier’s chief of staff, Dean French, asked the OPP “to purchase a large camper-type vehicle … modified to specifications the premier’s office would provide us” and keep the costs “off the books.”

The premier called that “a baseless claim without merit” during an event at Amazon’s new Toronto offices.

“That’s just not accurate whatsoever. I asked if they had a used one,” Ford said.

Ford did not say why he needed the van or why his office allegedly wanted the costs of customizing the vehicle kept hidden.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said the evasions and the remark about wanting a used van ring hollow.

“It sounds like something my teenage kids used to say to me when I asked them a serious question. They had some lame story,” Fraser said.

Ford is making a mistake by doubling down on support of Taverner, said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, who called the appointment an “error in judgment.”

“It’s obvious to everyone,” Schreiner said. “You don’t hire a family friend to be police chief of the province.”

Ford also insisted Blair’s allegation that French sat in on the job interview with Taverner was not true.

“He never sat on the board,” the premier said.

Ford also suggested Blair is a disgruntled also-ran for the commissioner’s post.

“I get it that he’s upset he didn’t win a fair process. I understand. Did he step over the line on a lot of things? I’m going to let the media decide that and I wish you would look into that,” he said.

“So what I’m going to do is take the high road and I’m going to let the review go through.”

In the meantime, Ford said, “We’re looking forward to Ron Taverner becoming the OPP commissioner. Let’s get through the (integrity commissioner’s) review and see what happens.”

He also praised Taverner as “a cop’s cop” and insisted OPP officers have been ringing his phone off the hook.

At Queen’s Park, New Demo- crats ratcheted up the pressure over the Taverner appointment, calling for Wake to use rarely invoked power to convene a full public inquiry.

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement. “The investigation into Doug Ford’s interference in Ontario’s police force, and the attempt to install an insider as commissioner, can’t only happen behind closed doors.”

Wake’s review prompted Taverner to request on Saturday that the OPP appointment be “postponed” until a final report is completed.

Questions were raised after qualification requirements were lowered two days into the application period, clearing the way for Taverner to submit his resume. On Monday, Taverner returned to his job at Toronto police heading divisions in northwest Toronto, an area that includes the Ford family stomping ground of Etobicoke.

Former commissioners of the RCMP and OPP, among others, have sounded the alarm over potential conflicts of interest if a friend of the premier heads the police force, particularly if the force has to investigate anything related to the government — as occurred several years ago in the scandal over a previous Liberal regime’s cancellation of two gas plants. Criminal charges and a conviction resulted.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones rejected the NDP calls for a full public inquiry, saying Wake’s probe will suffice.

“The investigation has begun … I look forward to the report,” she told MPPs in the legislature’s daily question period.

“There was nothing wrong with the process and Ron Taverner is an excellent choice for OPP commissioner.”

Among others, Taverner was chosen over Blair and a former senior Mountie who headed the RCMP’s Ontario operations. The NDP move came a day after Ford’s Progressive Conservative government rejected a motion to establish a select committee of MPPs to investigate the hiring.

Taverner has not replied to interview requests from the Star.