Ontario’s official opposition is calling on Doug Ford’s government to revoke appointments made to a committee that recommends judges after it was discovered they were also registered lobbyists.
The debate at Queen’s Park became heated Wednesday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford continued to face questions about recent additions to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee.
“You guys are so weak it makes me sick,” the prime minister said of the New Democratic Party.
“I’m not going to double down, I’m not going to triple down, I’m going to quadruple down to make sure that violent criminals go to jail.”
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the decision to include the two Ford staffers on the judiciary committee is “business as usual” for the Progressive Conservative government.
“Under this government, business as usual means that insiders, donors and people with access always come first,” he said.
“Ontarians don’t want a partisan American-style judiciary.”
The questions arise after two former members of the prime minister’s staff were selected for the judiciary committee, two staffers who remain in close communication with the government through their roles as registered lobbyists.
Matthew Bondy, Ford’s former deputy chief of staff, is registered as a lobbyist with Enterprise Canada. He works with a variety of clients, including Colt Canada, a subsidiary of American arms manufacturer Colt.
The other new member of the committee is Brock Vandrick, Ford’s former director of stakeholder relations. He is also a registered lobbyist with clients including the Ontario Forest Industries Association, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies.
The integrity commissioner’s office has said there is nothing to prevent someone registered to lobby the government from serving on the judicial appointments committee or any other board.
However, members should be aware of conflict of interest rules.
Andrew Kennedy, a spokesman for the province’s Attorney General, said the two individuals were not registered to lobby his office.
“The appointments were approved and underwent a rigorous conflict of interest screening process.”
The Ford government has maintained that it has the right to include “like-minded” people on the committee, whose role is to review applications and conduct interviews for Ontario court judges.
This committee then sends a list of recommendations to Attorney General Doug Downey’s office.
Downey has had no qualms about the government choosing former employees to recommend judges.
“Obviously, I want advice from those I respect,” Downey said earlier this week. “It’s shocking that a conservative government wants to listen to conservative voices.”
The prime minister went so far as to say he hopes to appoint “like-minded judges” who will support his call for a tougher bail system.
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie argued that’s not how Canada’s justice system is supposed to work.
“The person Ford appoints to help elect judges is told to elect judges who will rule the way the Prime Minister wants, and a few days later, he signs up as a lobbyist to help get government subsidies for a weapons manufacturer.” Crombie said.
“Worse, it’s part of an intentional pattern. Doug Ford says he’s ‘for the people,’ but he’s really for his rich, insider friends. He’s not bumbling from crisis to crisis. He’s deliberately enacting a reckless conservative agenda to help their conservative cronies get ahead.”