Ontario Provincial Police Block

TORONTO — The firing of a high-ranking provincial police officer waging a legal battle over the controversial appointment of Ontario's top cop renewed accusations of political interference Monday that the government denied.

Deputy commissioner Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new OPP commissioner.

Deputy OPP commissioner who spoke out about Taverner hiring has been fired

"There was zero political influence on this decision," Jones said. "For me to start questioning my deputy minister would have been absolutely inappropriate."

Shortly after a press conference in which after Jones refused to divulge the reasons for the firing, she stood in the legislature to say Blair had been warned about releasing confidential OPP information late last year. He then did it again through subsequent filings in his case involving the ombudsman, she said.

Deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso wrote in a memo on Friday that he had recommended the termination to the Public Service Commission because Blair had contravened "his legal and ethical responsibilities as a deputy commissioner and senior public servant."

A day earlier, the president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association had written to Di Tommaso expressing concern that Blair's public court filings, including internal OPP documents, have had adverse impacts on his members, in particular a protection officer for Ford.

Di Tommaso is also a former boss of Taverner's and was part of the three-person hiring panel that selected Taverner as OPP commissioner.

Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the requirements listed for the commissioner position. The Ford government has admitted it lowered the requirements for the position to attract a wider range of candidates. His appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation into his hiring.

Jones rejected suggestions that Di Tommaso's involvement in Blair's firing was inappropriate, saying he is in charge of the ministry's public safety division.

"It makes imminent sense that he would be involved in OPP hiring, in OPP decisions, in OPP oversight," she said.

Blair's lawyer did not respond to request for comment.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said it appears the government is attempting to silence a vocal critic.

"This whole thing is a cesspool of interference by Mr. Ford," she said. "Good people who have dedicated their lives to this province, who have brought integrity to the OPP, are being thrown under the bus."

Liberal Nathalie Des Rosiers asked the chair of the legislature's justice committee to call Di Tommaso to testify.

Green party Leader Mike Schreiner called on Ford to scrap Taverner's appointment permanently and to hold a probe into the entire affair.

"I think we need an independent investigation to get to the bottom of this," he said. "The premier doesn't have any credibility on this."

Ford's government has faced similar criticism in the past.

Washington state regulators said late last year that they would not allow Ontario's largest utility to buy American energy company Avista for fear the provincial government, which owns 47 per cent of Hydro One’s shares, might meddle in Avista's operations.

In another case, opposition parties are called on Ford in November to address allegations that his chief of staff sought to interfere in police investigations into illegal cannabis dispensaries. Dean French is alleged to have unsuccessfully ordered senior political aides to instruct police to raid dispensaries the day recreational cannabis became legal.

Blair initially requested an ombudsman investigation into Taverner's appointment in December, amid what he called "growing concerns of political interference" in the hiring process. He said it had deeply affected the morale of rank and file officers.

Public court filings in Blair's case attempting to force the ombudsman to investigate Taverner's hiring contain an account written by an OPP officer who is part of Ford's detail. The premier allegedly asked to be able to choose the officers who protect him and complained about the response to his request.

Other messages in the package outline Ford's request of the police service for a custom-built van that was to include a 32-inch television with Blu-Ray player, a mini-fridge, black leather captain's chairs and a reclining leather sofa bench.

Ford, in turn, has accused Blair of breaking the Police Services Act, and Blair is now threatening a defamation lawsuit over those comments. A Ford spokesman has denied that the premier's statements were a reprisal against Blair.

The veteran officer, who was also in the running for the commissioner's job, was acting OPP commissioner at the time he started his legal case but soon after was removed from that position.

Days later, Di Tomasso wrote to Blair to warn him that his oath as public servant required him to maintain confidentiality. The letter should not be construed as "disciplinary in nature," Di Tomasso wrote, but Blair was expected to comply in the future.

https://www.timescolonist.com/deputy-op ... 1.23652584

A high-ranking provincial police officer who was fired Monday alleges it is reprisal for waging a legal battle over the appointment of a friend of the premier's as commissioner.

Brad Blair has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, as the new Ontario Provincial Police commissioner.

The government has denied any political interference in Blair's firing, and said the decision to fire him came from the public service because Blair released confidential OPP information through his court filings.

Blair was fired by Mario Di Tommaso, deputy minister of community safety, and Blair alleges that was a conflict of interest because Di Tommaso was part of the hiring panel that selected Taverner and is therefore part of the case before the court.

"It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me, and that this reprisal is directly connected to my good faith efforts to seek redress before the divisional court and the provincial ombudsman," Blair writes in an affidavit filed Tuesday in court.

If there were concerns about the material Blair was filing in court being in the public realm, the attorney general could have asked the court to seal the documents, Blair writes.

'No one is above the law'

Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Sylvia Jones said Blair breached his duties as a police officer and as a public servant.

"No one is above the law," she said in the legislature. "This individual chose to sully the reputation of the excellent OPP officers who serve our public and the people of Ontario. He was terminated as a result."

Blair initially requested an ombudsman investigation into Taverner's appointment in December, amid what he called "growing concerns of political interference" in the hiring process. He said it had deeply affected the morale of rank-and-file officers.

The NDP is calling for a public inquiry into the whole situation.

Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the requirements listed for the commissioner position. The Ford government has admitted it lowered the requirements for the position to attract a wider range of candidates. His appointment has been delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation into his hiring.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5043434

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are political opposites who right now share something: both face allegations of political interference in the justice system.

Partisans will no doubt disagree on whose alleged political interference is worse: the federal Liberals' handling of the SNC-Lavalin corruption case or the provincial Progressive Conservatives' alleged meddling with the upper echelons of the Ontario Provincial Police.

You can read plenty of analysis throughout cbc.ca of why the SNC-Lavalin affair matters, why the testimony of former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould is resonating, and why the Trudeau Liberals are engulfed in a deepening crisis about just how much political pressure they exerted over a criminal case.

Why are Ford's PCs being accused of interfering with the OPP? The government appointed a close friend of Ford to head the provincial police force, and fired a veteran officer who had produced evidence that Ford tried to influence police operations.

Why does it matter?

"The OPP can be called in to investigate provincial politicians, and the citizens of Ontario need to have faith that the OPP is truly independent, above political interference, and free from abuses of power," said Brad Blair, the deputy commissioner who was fired on Monday after a spotless 32-year career with the OPP.

In a written statement Tuesday, Blair said he went public with his concerns about "real and/or perceived political interference" in the force because "the cost of a compromised OPP is too great a price to pay."

How Ford's friend got the job

The government announced in November that Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner had been chosen to become the new commissioner of the OPP. Taverner is a longtime friend of Ford and his family, and Ford has made no secret of their friendship.

The premier's appointment schedule (obtained by CBC News through freedom of information requests) and social media postings show he met with Taverner three times after taking office last June. There is no evidence that he met even once with any of the other candidates for the OPP top job. Their most recent meeting was Oct. 9, just days before the hiring process began.

Taverner, 72, didn't rise above the level of superintendent in his 50-year career with the Toronto police. That was two ranks below the level to qualify for OPP commissioner under the original job posting. But on Oct. 24, the government altered the posting, lowering the minimum qualifications, allowing Taverner to apply.

Blair's evidence of political interference

Blair was a finalist for the commissioner job that went to Taverner, one of only three people who made it to the second round of interviews.

In December, with Ford brushing aside concerns about the Taverner appointment, Blair launched a legal battle over the move, asking a court to order Ontario's ombudsman to investigate.

As part of the court case, Blair has filed evidence suggesting the premier pressured the OPP to do his bidding on two issues, related to police duties to transport and protect the premier.

Documents suggest Ford wanted $50,000 worth of customization work done on a van, including a power reclining leather sofa and a big-screen TV with BluRay player, to allow him to work while travelling around the province.

Blair alleges the premier's chief of staff told the OPP to keep the cost "off the books," something the premier's office vigorously denies. However, Ford's executive assistant sent the OPP an estimate for the work last October using his personal email address.

Another document filed in court recounts Ford's complaints to one of his OPP bodyguards about the rotating roster of officers assigned to protect him. The email quoted Ford as saying: "It feels like I'm not getting heard, like I'm getting f---ed around by the OPP and I'm getting more pissed off. I'm going to call the commissioner and sort this out."

Submitting those documents to the court triggered Blair's firing. According to the government, he was fired by the nonpartisan public service commission, on the recommendation of the deputy minister of public safety, Mario Di Tommaso.

Deputy minister's role in hiring, firing

Di Tommaso was until last October a veteran Toronto police officer, and Taverner's boss, as a staff superintendent in charge of the central and west field command. The Ford government appointed him deputy minister of public safety in October, making him the top bureaucrat in charge of the OPP.

Di Tommaso is deeply connected to the controversy embroiling the OPP and the government since then:

- The OPP commissioner job qualifications were lowered two days after he took over as deputy minister.
- He was one of three people on the hiring committee that chose Taverner over Blair.
- He issued a formal warning to Blair in December, a few days after Ford accused Blair of unspecified violations of the Police Services Act.
- He initiated Blair's firing.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones points to Di Tommaso's position as deputy minister as proof that there was no political involvement in Blair's firing.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath questions that. "The minister claimed she didn't ask why Mario Di Tommaso was doing this," Horwath said Tuesday in the Legislature. "Why would the minister approve terminating an OPP deputy commissioner without seeking any explanation or rationale for the decision?"

Is there political interference?

Several elements of this controversy could lead an unbiased observer to conclude there's been political interference in the top ranks of the OPP: chiefly, that Ford's friend Taverner gets appointed OPP commissioner, while Blair, his rival for the job and a critic of the Ford government, gets fired.

The idea that the police force needs to be 100 per cent independent of politicians is more than a theoretical concern in Ontario. The OPP investigated top aides to both former Liberal premiers Dalton McGuinty (over deleting government documents about the gas plants scandal) and Kathleen Wynne (over bribery allegations surrounding a byelection race). Doubts would have clearly been cast over those investigations had a longtime friend of either premier been running the OPP at the time.

Blair's firing and the push to make Taverner chief amounts to "serious political interference with the administration of justice," tweeted former Toronto mayor David Miller on Tuesday.

But Miller, who battled vigorously with Rob Ford on Toronto city council, is in no way a neutral observer.

The Ford government rejects all the claims of undue political influence. PC officials and politicians from Ford on down insist Taverner is well-qualified. They say the process to choose him was independent. They say the $50,000 estimate for van renovations was just an inquiry, and really about saving taxpayers' money on flights. They say it's normal for a premier to have input on his police security detail. They say there was no political involvement in Blair's firing. And they say the firing was justified.

"Mr. Blair breached his duties as both a police officer and a public servant," said Jones in the Legislature on Tuesday. "No one is above the law."

It all comes down to who you believe. Ontario's integrity commissioner is investigating Taverner's appointment. His report — expected in the coming weeks — could put the controversy to rest or ignite it anew.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5043447

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been interviewed by the integrity commissioner as part of an investigation into the appointment of Ford family friend Ron Taverner to the province’s top policing job.

A government source confirmed the interview occurred “late last week,” with commissioner J. David Wake investigating if Ford broke conflict of interest rules while awarding Taverner the post of OPP commissioner.

The news comes as the public got the first detailed look at the premier’s defence of his conduct and a timeline of events and key players involved. The defence was outlined in documents filed in court on Monday and made public on Tuesday.

The documents were filed by fired deputy OPP commissioner Brad Blair in his lawsuit, which attempts to force the province’s ombudsman to investigate Taverner’s hiring. In a rare move, Blair went public with his concerns in December. He was fired from the force on Monday.

The government says he was dismissed for disclosing confidential information, but in his court filings Blair said he believes he is being punished for speaking out.

Wake’s investigation centres on a complaint filed by NDP MPP Kevin Yarde, who asserts that Ford broke conflict of interest rules by failing to recuse himself from the final cabinet decision to appoint Taverner. Yarde also raised concerns about facts surrounding the application process that were first reported by iPolitics.

Two days after the job posting for the commissioner position was made public, it was changed to remove any requirements that candidates hold a minimum rank. Had those rank requirements stayed in place, Taverner would not have been eligible to apply for the job.

In his nine-page letter to Wake, the premier strongly defends not only his involvement in the process, but also the actions of senior civil servants and senior staff in the premier’s office who were involved in the OPP commissioner hiring process.

The letter was sent to Wake on Dec. 14, 2018. That date has become significant in this case, as on the same day, Cabinet Secretary Steve Orsini — who was also involved in Taverner’s hiring — announced his surprise retirement, Blair announced he would go to court to try to force the ombudsman to investigate, and the next day the government announced Taverner’s appointment was delayed pending Wake’s investigation.

“I deny categorically the allegations being made or implied ” by Yarde, Ford writes in his letter.

“I was not directly involved in the recruitment process,” Ford writes, even though he and the rest of cabinet signed off on Taverner’s appointment.

Ford on why he didn’t recuse himself from cabinet

In his letter to the integrity commissioner, the premier explains that he didn’t think he needed to recuse himself from the cabinet decision because he was signing off on a recommendation from the civil servants and head-hunting firm who first recommended Taverner get the top job.

“There was a single recommendation that was endorsed by cabinet as a collective,” Ford writes.

He also told Wake that he “ensured” that his cabinet was “aware of my personal friendship with Mr. Taverner.”

Ford also argues that, because cabinet met as a “collective,” there was no need for him to follow the section of the integrity act that says a cabinet minister with a conflict should appoint someone else to make the decision for them.

However he notes that Wake may not agree with his decision.

“I respect that as the integrity commissioner, you may have a view as to whether I made the correct choice to remain at this cabinet meeting,” Ford said. “I will ultimately respect your advice on this matter, but would respectfully submit that my attendance must be considered in light of the overall recruitment process.”

Taverner selection made with ‘no political interference or direction’: Ford

The premier acknowledged that the first plan that the government put together for hiring the next OPP commissioner included his own chief of staff, Dean French, sitting on the final interview panel.

This information was first reported by Blair in his letter to Ombudsman Paul Dubé. In that letter, Blair said that he was told French would be one of four people interviewing him in the second round interview. However, when he arrived for the interview on Nov. 20, 2018, he was told French would no longer be joining them.

In his letter, the premier explains why that change was made: “Mr. French recused himself from the candidate interviews to both protect the integrity of the recruitment process and also ensure that any recommendation to the minister and cabinet was based on the professional opinion of the public service.”

Ford notes that because the initial plan was for French to take part in the interviews, he was “in receipt of updates on the recruitment process.”

The presence of another person on the hiring committee has also raised questions from the opposition. Ford’s deputy minister of community safety, Mario Di Tommaso, was Taverner’s boss at the Toronto Police Service before he was appointed deputy minister in October.

Di Tommaso joined the department on the day the first job posting was published online and was involved in the change in requirements for applicants.

The premier also tells Wake in the letter that it is “standard practice” for the deputy minister of the responsible department to take part in interviews. And, he adds, it is “not at all uncommon” for the deputy minister to know the candidates.

“My understanding is that including those with a previous direct reporting relationship can often provide a higher level of assurance of a candidate’s competencies and qualifications,” the premier writes.

Ford also notes that the government hired executive search firm Odgers Berndtson to oversee the hiring process and to act as “third-party validation” of the process.

“I believe this fact alone refutes any allegation that there was an orchestrated plan to appoint Mr. Taverner,” Ford said about the involvement of Odgers Berndtson.

Ultimately Orsini, Di Tommaso and Sal Badali of Odgers Berndtson conducted the final interviews for the position.

“The second panel unanimously ranked Mr. Don Taverner as the top candidate for consideration,” Ford writes. “This selection was made with no political interference or direction.”

Change in job requirements made in ‘good faith’: Ford

In his letter to Wake, the premier also explains the change in job requirements for the OPP commissioner job.

The premier repeated his previous statement that the change was made to broaden the pool of applicants and he asserts that he has no knowledge of involvement from his office in this change.

“I would agree that some of the allegations that have arisen could have been avoided had the ranking requirements been removed from the job ad before its original posting,” Ford writes.

“However, I believe the change was made in a good faith effort to ensure a broad and inclusive recruitment process and provides no evidence of any improper activity by me, my office or any individual working on my behalf.

“I am not aware of any consultation with my office on this change,” Ford said.

He also notes that three previous police chief job postings, managed by Odgers Berndtson also didn’t include a minimum rank requirement. He said that applies for postings in Thunder Bay, Hamilton and Toronto.

“I reject any assertion that this change was made to specifically permit Mr. Taverner’s application for the position,” Ford said.

The integrity commissioner does not comment on ongoing investigations and has not said when the investigation is expected to conclude.

https://ipolitics.ca/2019/03/06/ford-in ... ner-probe/

The Ford government has dug itself into a hole in the matter of appointing a new leader for the Ontario Provincial Police. And true to form, it just keeps on digging.

It was glaringly obvious all along that Ron Taverner, Premier Doug Ford’s old chum from Etobicoke, must never be appointed commissioner of the OPP.

Installing a close crony of the premier at the top of the province’s most important police force, the very force that’s expected to investigate political wrong-doing at Queen’s Park, is a complete non-starter.

Regardless of Taverner’s qualifications or the purity of his intentions, making him boss of the OPP would politicize the force in the worst way. Just the suspicion that he could be acting as a political tool of the premier should be enough to bury his chances.

But trust the Ford team to find a way to make this bad situation even worse. It did just that on Monday with the abrupt firing of the senior OPP commander who had the temerity to publicly challenge the premier’s decision to appoint Taverner.

For the record, the government insists it had nothing, nothing at all, to do with the firing of Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, the man who blew the whistle on this terrible decision in December, warning it would cause “irreparable damage to police independence.”

No, says the government, it was all done by the book. For an hour or so on Monday, the minister in charge publicly maintained that she didn’t even know why Blair got the boot.

That’s what Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones asserted with a straight face when she met the news media. An hour later, she was up in the legislature laying out detailed reasons for the firing. How much she learned in 60 minutes!

According to Jones, the key decider in this matter was her deputy minister, Mario Di Tommaso, who recommended to the Ontario Public Service Commission that Blair be fired. She was just a bystander, she says.

But we know that Di Tommaso is a former top Toronto police officer who was previously Taverner’s boss. That he was on the hiring committee that massaged the job requirements for OPP commissioner to favour Taverner and then recommended his appointment. And that he’s palled around with both Taverner and Ford.

In other words, up to his ears in this whole affair.

As a cover story, it’s a remarkably bad one. If someone’s out to hoodwink you, you’d hope they’d at least pay you the compliment of concocting a convincing tale.

In this case, the government doesn’t seem to think we’re worthy of even that kind of back-handed respect. They appear to believe we’re all gullible enough to swallow this remarkably threadbare story.

Blair has indeed been treated shabbily. On the face of it, he’s right that his firing amounts to a political reprisal by the government and “an attempt to muzzle me.”

But in the wider scheme of things, Blair’s fate is a sideshow. The real stakes here haven’t changed: the independence and integrity of Ontario’s provincial police force must be protected. It must not be subverted by having a personal friend of the premier installed as its boss.

This is glaringly obvious, but apparently it needs to be repeated for the benefit of a premier who seems determined to get his way regardless of any damage done to the reputation of the OPP.

This is no theoretical risk. If the force had been headed by a Liberal crony back in 2015, would it have charged a former Liberal premier’s chief of staff with tampering with computer data? Or would it have backed off?

Ontario needs to have full confidence that crime will be investigated fairly and fearlessly wherever it occurs. For that simple reason, Ron Taverner must not become commissioner of the OPP.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editori ... gging.html

The lawyer representing former Ontario Provincial Police deputy commissioner Brad Blair has accused Premier Doug Ford of orchestrating the firing of his client.

Blair was dismissed Monday for allegedly revealing confidential OPP information, which the Ford government has called a breach of his oath as an officer.

During a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Blair's lawyer Julian Falconer said the process that led to his client's termination was rife with conflict of interest. He called the outcome "legally embarrassing."

"The conflicts of interest that abound in this case are mind-boggling," Falconer said. "This is what abuse of power looks like in 2019."

Blair has been an outspoken critic of the decision to appoint Ford's longtime friend Ron Taverner as the next OPP chief, and he is asking an Ontario court to force the province's ombudsman to investigate the appointment.

Taverner officially withdrew his name from consideration Wednesday in a letter to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones.

Blair also made headlines in recent weeks as the whistleblower who revealed Ford's plans to spend $50,000 customizing a van through the OPP.

"It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me, and that this reprisal is directly connected to my good faith efforts to seek redress before the Divisional Court and the provincial ombudsman," Blair wrote in a statement Tuesday.

Blair is 'angry,' cabinet minister says

The Progressive Conservatives have said the firing was directed by Mario Di Tommaso, the deputy minister of Community Safety, who consulted with interim OPP Commissioner Gary Couture.

Jones, the minister, has repeatedly insisted that Blair's firing was not politically motivated. She points out the decision was ultimately approved by the independent Public Service Commission.

"This individual didn't get the job he applied for," Jones said to her fellow legislators Wednesday morning. "He is angry."

However, Falconer argues that Di Tommaso should not have had a role in the firing since he is a primary target of Blair's accusations. Di Tommaso was also Taverner's former boss at Toronto police and part of the hiring board that recommended Taverner for the OPP's top job.

"A high school student would understand the blatant personal and professional conflicts of interest the deputy minister has found himself in," Falconer said.

He said Di Tommaso "is actually the tool that has been used by the premier to fire Brad Blair," he added.

Was Blair fired illegally?

Falconer is also arguing that Blair's firing did not follow the procedures mandated under Ontario law, and that his client had no opportunity to defend himself.

Falconer said Blair was never told to stop or modify his behaviour in any way prior to his firing, and the process was not initiated through the Police Services Act.

"This is what happens when you make it up as you go," he said.

Falconer said he and Blair are considering steps to challenge the firing, though he did not say what that strategy would look like.

The government did not immediately respond to Falconer's claims.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5045332

Premier Doug Ford’s government engaged in an “abuse of power” when it fired a former high-ranking provincial police officer without giving him a chance to defend himself, the man’s lawyer alleged Wednesday.

Julian Falconer claimed his client, former OPP deputy commissioner Brad Blair, was dismissed because he spoke out against the hiring of a long-time friend of Ford’s as head of the force.

Falconer said Blair’s firing on Monday is “legally suspect” and did not follow the disciplinary process set out by the province’s Police Services Act, the law that governs the conduct of every officer.

“This is what abuse of power looks like in 2019,” the lawyer said.

Falconer’s claims are the latest development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the Ford government’s hiring of Ron Taverner as OPP commissioner late last year.

Taverner, 72, initially did not meet the criteria listed for the commissioner position and the government has admitted it lowered the requirements to attract a wider range of candidates. His appointment has been put on hold while the province’s integrity commissioner probes the hiring process.

Blair, who was also a candidate for that job, voiced concerns about Taverner’s hiring and launched a legal challenge to force Ontario’s ombudsman to investigate it. Blair alleged this week that his dismissal was an attempt to muzzle him.

The government has denied any political interference in Blair’s firing as deputy commissioner, and said the decision came from the public service because Blair released confidential OPP information through his court filings.

It did not respond Wednesday to Falconer’s claims.

Falconer said the province had the power to demote Blair from his role of deputy commissioner but did not have the authority to fire him the way it did. By avoiding use of the Police Services Act, the government has dodged any potential tribunal hearing that would have given Blair an opportunity to defend himself, the lawyer said.

“Imagine firing somebody without them even having an opportunity to respond to the allegations,” Falconer said. “This stinks to high heaven.”

Falconer could not say what steps his client will take next, but added that Blair is “undeterred” by his termination and won’t be silenced.

“Brad Blair … was summarily fired in an outrageous fashion and he and his family are devastated,” he said. “He understands and knew that when you are trying to speak truth to power, when you are trying to shed light on abuse of power, you will become a target.”

NDP legislator Taras Natyshak said Falconer’s comments lend further credence to the New Democrats’ call for a public inquiry into the affair. He also chided Ford, who has not been at the legislature since Blair’s firing, for not addressing the issue publicly.

“Show some guts, show some integrity, show your face in this house and answer some questions,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Government House Leader Todd Smith defended Ford’s absence by saying the premier has a busy schedule and many demands on his time.

“The premier makes himself available when he sees fit,” he said.

Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said Falconer’s statement raises concerns about that a breach of public trust has occurred and also called for a public inquiry.

“The separation of political interference from the police is a fundamental tenet of our democracy,” Schreiner said in a statement. “It separates us from countries where corrupt leaders use the police to do their dirty work.”

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/03/06/ ... er-lawyer/

The deputy OPP commissioner fired after going public with concerns about the hiring of Premier Doug Ford's friend as head of the provincial police is threatening to sue the government for wrongful dismissal.

Brad Blair, sacked by the Progressive Conservative government on Monday, "will seek full accountability and compensation for the actions leading to his termination."

Blair's lawyer, Julian Falconer, said the surprise decision late Wednesday by Ford pal, Ron Taverner, to withdraw his name from consideration to be OPP commissioner, bolsters the former deputy's case.

"Last night's news vindicates Brad Blair's unwavering resolve to protect the OPP from political interference," said Falconer.

"Brad Blair was right in insisting on transparency and accountability in defence of the Ontario Provincial Police," he said.

"It is sad in the extreme that the destruction of a good man's career is the price to be paid for exposing political cronyism and abuse of power."

Ford's bid to install his friend, a 72-year-old Toronto police superintendent, as OPP head ended after more than three months of controversy.

Taverner, whose appointment had been in limbo while an ethics probe was ongoing, bowed out Wednesday night amid concerns of political interference in his hiring.

"Both Ron Taverner and Premier Ford shared the same concerns that the appointment was being overly politicized and it's in the best interests of front-line officers for Taverner to withdraw," a senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, told the Star.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones — who, like Ford, insisted Taverner was the best person for the job and denied any role in his unexpected Nov. 29 appointment — said "we will have more to say about the role of the commissioner in the near future."

In a statement released by Ford's office, Taverner said "this decision is not an easy one for me to make."

"I believe the OPP requires new leadership and a change in culture at its most senior levels," he said.

Stung by the rebuke, Ford said "it is very unfortunate that the opposition has chosen to politicize this process rather than focusing on how we can support our front-line officers."

The premier emphasized he is "concerned about the countless negative stories I have heard directly from front-line officers."

In December, Ford said "there has never been a more popular police officer in this province than Ron Taverner."

"We look forward to having Ron Taverner as the commissioner of the OPP. You look at his credentials, speaks for itself, 50 years of policing around the province," he said at the time.

But the debacle has taken a toll on the premier and his government.

Blair's lawsuit to force the Ontario ombudsman to probe the Taverner appointment revealed Ford's desire the for a customized OPP van with a powered reclining leather sofa, 32-inch TV with Blu-ray DVD player, and a minifridge.

The suit also exposed private — and profane — conversations the premier had complaining about the rotation of his OPP security detail.

"I've asked for my own detail of officers who I trust already," said Ford, according to documents filed with the Ontario Superior Court.

"It feels like I'm not being heard, like I'm getting f—ed around by the OPP and I'm getting more pissed off," he added, according to dialogue reported in a July 18, 2018 email from Sgt. Terrance Murphy to a superior.

"I'm going to call the commissioner and sort this out. This is the last straw," the premier continued.

"If I have to, I will drive up there to see him face-to-face so he can see how serious I am about this. If he can't sort this out then maybe a new commissioner can make it happen."

Taverner applied for the OPP job last fall when qualifications were lowered two days after the initial posting.

Despite their close friendship Ford has always denied any political interference in the appointment.

Integrity commissioner J. David Wake has been investigating whether there was political interference following a complaint from the NDP.

Wake interviewed Ford late last week and has also questioned his chief of staff, Dean French.

Interim OPP commissioner Gary Couture will remain at the helm until a permanent replacement is found.

https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news- ... overnment/

Premier Doug Ford’s controversial push to install his friend, Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, as Ontario Provincial Police commissioner has been scrapped.

Taverner’s surprise decision to bow out Wednesday night comes amid a growing furor over accusations of political interference and fears that the hiring jeopardized the independence of the country’s second largest police force.

“Both Ron Taverner and Premier Ford shared the same concerns that the appointment was being overly politicized and it’s in the best interests of front-line officers for Taverner to withdraw,” a senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, told the Star.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones — who, along with Ford, repeatedly defended Taverner as the best person for the job and denied any hand in his Nov. 29 appointment — confirmed the 72-year-old dropped his name from consideration.

“It is very unfortunate that the opposition has chosen to politicize this process rather than focusing on how we can support our front-line officers,” Ford said in a statement.

The premier, who remained unrepentant about the Taverner hiring, added he is “concerned about the countless negative stories I have heard directly from front-line officers.”

Taverner, who did not return messages from the Star, said in a statement released by the premier’s office “this decision is not an easy one for me to make.”

“I believe the OPP requires new leadership and a change in culture at its most senior levels,” the Toronto superintendent said.

In her brief statement, Jones said “we will have more to say about the role of the commissioner in the near future.”

The imbroglio has taken its toll on Ford’s Progressive Conservatives, with the premier ducking the legislature all week and avoiding questions from the opposition and calls for a public inquiry.

Indeed, the retreat is a personal setback for the premier, who had championed his friend as “a cop’s cop,” and a victory for rivals, with Green party Leader Mike Schreiner saying the Taverner bid made Ontario look like a banana republic.

“The separation of political interference from the police is a fundamental tenet of our democracy,” said Schreiner. “It separates us from countries where corrupt leaders use the police to do their dirty work.”

NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh praised Taverner for making the “right decision” but said she hopes Ford has learned his lesson on the dangers of hiring a friend to head the OPP, given that he did not acknowledge those concerns in his statement.

“The premier really needs to answer questions with respect to why he would even think that’s the right thing to be doing,” Singh added in an interview.

“This mess could have been avoided. It took so long because Mr. Ford thought he was going to be able to get away with this.”

In December, Ford insisted “there has never been a more popular police officer in this province than Ron Taverner.”

“We look forward to having Ron Taverner as the commissioner of the OPP. You look at his credentials, speaks for itself, 50 years of policing around the province,” the premier added at the time, saying it’s “too bad we couldn’t have a straight-up vote because Ron Taverner would win with 95 per cent of the front-line OPP officers that I’ve heard from crossing the province.”

That month, Taverner rescinded his resignation as superintendent of three Toronto police divisions in Etobicoke, and returned to his role as unit commander.

Taverner’s exit — on a day when media attention was fixated on the SNC-Lavalin scandal on Parliament Hill — follows the Ford government’s firing on Monday of deputy OPP commissioner Brad Blair, who was passed over for the top job and took legal action.

Blair’s lawsuit to force the Ontario ombudsman to investigate Taverner’s appointment exposed the premier’s efforts to get a customized van with a powered reclining leather sofa, 32-inch TV with Blu-ray DVD player and a minifridge — dubbed a “souped-up man cave on wheels” by the NDP.

Earlier Wednesday, Blair’s lawyer called the dismissal “outrageous” and said it’s “bizarre” he was ousted without any official warnings or proceedings under the Police Services Act despite protestations from Ford that he violated the law by releasing information about the hiring and the $50,000 van conversion.

“God help you if you cross the premier. That’s the message,” Julian Falconer added in a 42-minute conference call with reporters.

“While they throw around references to the Police Act, they’re not using it. This is exactly what abuse of power looks like.”

The collateral damage of the flawed decision to appoint Taverner is “an absolute shame,” said Singh.

Taverner is a veteran Toronto police superintendent who applied for the OPP job last fall when qualifications were lowered two days after the initial posting, allowing someone of his mid-level rank into the running.

Ford has always denied any political interference in the appointment, which has been under investigation by provincial integrity commissioner J. David Wake following a complaint from the NDP.

Wake interviewed the premier late last week and previously questioned his chief of staff, Dean French, for more than two hours as part of the probe.

Taverner has been in limbo since requesting in December that his appointment be put on hold until the ethics investigation is completed. Jones said interim OPP commissioner Gary Couture will remain at the helm for now. The last full-time commissioner, Vince Hawkes, retired in the fall.

Policing experts, including former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson, had repeatedly warned concerns about potential conflicts of interest would always linger if Taverner were to head the force, which can be called in to investigate any wrongdoing by government — as occurred under a previous Liberal government.

In that case, the OPP’s anti-rackets squad laid charges over deleted documents in the wake of the scandal over gas plants cancelled before the 2011 election. Former premier Dalton McGuinty’s chief of staff, David Livingston, was criminally charged, convicted at trial and served five weeks in jail.

https://www.toronto.com/news-story/9211 ... missioner/

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provin ... -says.html

Alok Mukherjee was the chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, 2005-2015. He is a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University, and co-author of Excessive Force: Toronto’s Fight to Reform City Policing

The manner of Brad Blair’s firing as deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) brings to mind the reaction of Marcellus in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” It’s difficult to recall a single precedent in which a top-ranking OPP officer has been turfed out in the manner that Mr. Blair has been.

Sylvia Jones, the minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, has denied any political interference by her or Premier Doug Ford, insisting the decision to terminate Mr. Blair was made by the Ontario Public Service (OPS) based on an investigation by deputy minister of Community Safety Mario Di Tommaso.

In court documents released Tuesday, Mr. Blair did not mince words about why he believes he was terminated after 32 years: “It is patently clear to me that this is reprisal and an attempt to muzzle me.”

Many questions remain about the process followed and the roles played by acting OPP commissioner Gary Couture, Mr. Di Tommaso, interim cabinet secretary and head of the OPS Steven Davidson, president of the OPP police association Rob Jamieson and – not least of all – Mr. Ford himself.

This unprecedented action also raises important concerns about the integrity of the public service, the freedom of the OPP from political interference and the willingness of experienced senior members of the OPP to seek leadership positions within the force.

Ms. Jones has said Mr. Blair’s appointment was terminated because he “contravened his legal and ethical responsibilities as a deputy commissioner and senior public servant.” This statement relates to the disclosure of a confidential e-mail – which casts Mr. Ford in a negative light – in his continuing legal battle over his failed bid for the OPP commissioner job. The Ontario Ombudsman has refused to investigate the hiring process, and Mr. Blair is seeking a court order to force the Ombudsman’s hand.

Mr. Jamieson, a close friend of Mr. Ford, apparently took issue with this use of an e-mail from one of his members. Did the relationship between the association president and the Premier play any role in this complaint?

Other legal and procedural questions arise from the handling of this complaint. Even before it was made, Mr. Ford had already accused Mr. Blair of violating the Police Service Act (PSA).

Curiously, Mr. Blair was dealt with not under the PSA, but under the Ontario Public Service Act (OPSA). While it is now known that Mr. Di Tommaso conducted the investigation, it is not clear who turned the association’s complaint into a misconduct charge, who initiated the formal complaint and who decided to treat Mr. Blair under the OPSA.

What part did acting OPP Commissioner Couture play in this? Or did Mr. Di Tommaso act on his own?

There is already an ongoing questioning of Mr. Di Tommaso’s relationship with Mr. Ford and his involvement in the choice of his former colleague, Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner, as the new OPP commissioner. At the time, I asked publicly whether Mr. Di Tommaso should have recused himself. That question is bound to arise again. Should he have involved himself in Mr. Blair’s firing?

There is also a legal issue that needs addressing. Mr. Blair was, first of all, a police officer and thus held an appointment under the PSA from the day he became a constable.That appointment never ended, even after he became a deputy commissioner under the OPSA. A strong case could potentially be made that the revocation of his Order-in-Council appointment as deputy commissioner under the OPSA did not affect his appointment under the PSA, even if it was the easier and less cumbersome route for getting rid of him.

If he had been charged under the PSA, a complaint would have had to be initiated by either Mr. Couture or Ms. Jones. After a full investigation, there would have had to be a hearing in which the merits of the charges would have been tested. The process would have been open and transparent.

None of this happened with Mr. Di Tommaso’s investigation. He was the investigator, the judge and the jury. Mr. Davidson, the acting cabinet secretary, appears to have simply gone along with Mr. Di Tommaso’s recommendation, just as his predecessor Steve Orsini did in the selection of Mr. Taverner.

Unless satisfactory answers to these questions are provided,we have a situation that threatens to compromise the integrity of the public service as well as the independence of the provincial police force.

Civilian governance and oversight of policing are important for a democratic society. In the case of the OPP, the provincial government performs these functions. However, that does not justify partisan interference. A strong inference has to be drawn that this may well have happened.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... n-the-opp/

An ousted Ontario Provincial Police commander has responded to Wednesday’s sudden withdrawal of Ford family friend Ron Taverner as the OPP’s incoming chief by saying he will be legally challenging the circumstances of his firing.

In a statement circulated Thursday morning, a lawyer acting for former OPP deputy commissioner Brad Blair said his client considers the withdrawal by the Toronto Police Superintendent as a vindication, adding that the Progressive Conservative government must now pick a new police chief in an untainted process.

“Mr. Blair’s efforts to protect the OPP from political interference have not come without significant personal costs,” Julian Falconer wrote.

The statement, circulated overnight, said his client “contests the legal validity of the termination of his employment … and he will seek full accountability and compensation for the actions leading to his termination.”

The statement did not say whether any kind of reinstatement into the OPP would be sought by Mr. Blair, who went on record weeks ago saying he is resigned to realizing he will never run the police force within which he spent his 32-year policing career.

But “looking forward, the hiring process for the next OPP Commissioner must be conducted appropriately and not mired by the political interference and cronyism that sadly characterized the November 2018 hiring process,” Mr. Falconer’s statement said.

On Nov. 29, the Progressive Conservative government announced it had picked Supt. Taverner over then-acting OPP commissioner Blair for the provincial force’s top job.

Because Premier Doug Ford is friends with Supt. Taverner, the hiring decision prompted a public outcry, and has been delayed pending an ongoing ethics review by the province’s Integrity Commissioner.

Mr. Blair responded by independently waging his own legal battle alleging inappropriate interference in the OPP by the Ford government corrupted the hiring process. He still served as a deputy commissioner until he was abruptly fired Monday and escorted out of OPP headquarters as the government accused him of violating his oaths as a public servant for releasing sensitive OPP e-mails into his court filings.

Supt. Taverner, who has known the Ford family for years, said he has decided to pull out of leading the OPP “to protect the integrity of rank and file police officers given the controversy surrounding my appointment.”

“This decision is not an easy one for me to make,” Supt. Taverner said in a letter to Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Sylvia Jones, which was released by the government late Wednesday.

In a statement, Mr. Ford said that “since the beginning of this process, our objective has been to bring new leadership in order to address many long-standing and systemic issues that have existed for some time within the OPP.”

He thanked Supt. Taverner, 72, for putting his name forward and said his leadership after 50 years in policing would have been an asset for the service.

“It is very unfortunate that the opposition has chosen to politicize this process rather than focusing on how we can support our front-line officers,” Mr. Ford said.

The province’s Integrity Commissioner is investigating allegations of conflict of interest after the opposition raised concerns Mr. Ford interfered in the hiring. The Premier has denied guiding the decision, saying Supt. Taverner was selected by an independent committee. The job qualifications were changed shortly after they were first posted to allow officers with lower ranks, such as Supt. Taverner, to apply.

Supt. Taverner had delayed taking over the OPP position until the Integrity Commissioner investigation was complete.

Rob Jamieson, president of the union representing more than 6,000 officers with the provincial police, said he respects Supt. Taverner’s decision.

“I would agree with the comments of Ron Taverner that it’s about the front line,” he said.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Wednesday that Supt. Taverner “did what Doug Ford has continuously refused to do, and preserved the OPP’s integrity with his withdrawal.” She reiterated her call for a public inquiry.

The government has denied any political interference in the hiring process, which began last fall. Mr. Blair, however, has alleged in court documents that there is a pattern of interference by the Premier’s Office in police operations. Submitting internal e-mails, Mr. Blair alleged that Mr. Ford’s staff directed a sole-sourced “off-the-books” request for the OPP to refit an executive van for the Premier’s use.

In court filings made Feb. 15, Mr. Blair also included an internal e-mail suggesting that Mr. Ford was upset about his rotating security detail and vowed to speak with the commissioner if his concerns were not addressed.

Community Safety deputy minister Mario Di Tommaso, who was formerly Supt. Taverner’s boss with Toronto Police Service and part of the provincial hiring committee, fired Mr. Blair in person on Monday after warning him about releasing confidential police communications.

Mr. Blair has said that his firing was a reprisal for the lawsuit and an attempt to “muzzle” him.

The Ford government said the decision wasn’t politically motivated, but Ms. Jones defended the firing, which she said was recommended by Mr. Di Tommaso and approved by the public service commission.

In the legislature this week, she accused Mr. Blair of breaching both his oath of office and potentially the Police Services Act by communicating with the media without permission and releasing a letter to the province’s Ombudsman that contained confidential information.

In a statement Wednesday night, Ms. Jones said she accepted Supt. Taverner’s request to withdraw.

“We thank him for his continued service as a decorated police officer,” she said. “Interim commissioner Gary Couture remains in his post. We will have more to say about the role of the commissioner in the near future.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... ntroversy/

Premier Doug Ford called the Ontario NDP caucus anti-police, as Leader Andrea Horwath continued to demand a public inquiry into the now abandoned appointment of Ron Taverner as head of OPP.

“I want to thank the leader of the police-hating party for the question,” Ford said to Horwath in the Ontario Legislature Thursday, when asked about Taverner.

“I can tell you, after 50 years of an impeccable record, I found it disgusting (how Taverner) was berated. He was attacked by the opposition — personally attacked — a person who served 50 years of protecting families, communities.”

“Apparently the Premier wasn’t paying attention,” Horwath shot back.

“It was him we were attacking, not Ron Taverner or anybody else.”

The fiery exchange occurred as Ford appeared in the Ontario Legislature to answer questions about his government’s involvement in the search for a new OPP Commissioner.

Taverner, a Toronto Police Superintendent and Ford family friend, asked Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones Wednesday to withdraw his name for the position, given the controversy around his appointment.

The NDP led the charge in challenging what it argued was a politically-motivated appointment, but red flags were also raised by recently-fired candidate Brad Blair, a 32-year OPP officer who had been serving at interim commissioner.

“The people of Ontario have a right to know how a friend of the Premier became the front-runner for the top job when he didn’t even qualify for the initial posting,” Horwath said.

“And they want to know why a veteran officer — with over three decades on the force — lost his job about speaking out about his concerns.”

Ford said his government is determined to bring new leadership to the OPP, and he accused the NDP of trying to score cheap political points off the front-line officers of the OPP and Taverner.

“What the NDP did was completely inappropriate,” Jones said.

“They continually suggested that he was in some way unqualified for a job that frankly everyone who was involved in the hiring process believed he was 100% qualified for.”

An individual as active and engaged with the public as the Premier, and an officer with 50 years service in Toronto — it would have been amazing if Ford and Taverner didn’t know each other, Jones said — who reiterated her belief in the appropriateness of the appointment process.

Taverner’s withdrawal from the appointment hasn’t reduced the need for a public inquiry, because Ontarians deserve to know that the hiring process of the OPP Commissioner is above reproach, Horwath said.

https://www.thewhig.com/news/provincial ... 35dea3ebf1

A high-ranking provincial police official who was fired after speaking out about a friend of the premier’s being appointed commissioner is vindicated now that Ron Taverner has withdrawn from the position, his lawyer said Thursday.

Taverner, a Toronto police superintendent and long-time friend of Premier Doug Ford, announced Wednesday evening that he will not take on the role given the controversy surrounding his appointment.

Former Ontario Provincial Police deputy commissioner Brad Blair, who was also a candidate for the top job, has asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate the hiring, saying it raises concerns of political interference.

He was fired this week, but the government denies there was any political involvement, saying the public service made the decision because Blair released confidential OPP information through his court filings.

Blair has alleged his termination was an attempt to muzzle him. His lawyer, Julian Falconer, says the firing was “legally suspect.”

“Mr. Blair contests the legal validity of the termination of his employment as a sworn police officer of the OPP and he will seek full accountability and compensation for the actions leading to this termination,” Falconer said in a statement Thursday.

Blair’s efforts have come with significant personal costs, Falconer said.

“Last night’s news vindicates Brad Blair’s unwavering resolve to protect the OPP from political interference,” he wrote. “It is sad in the extreme that the destruction of a good man’s career is the price to be paid for exposing political cronyism and abuse of power.”

Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner is looking at the circumstances around Taverner’s hiring, and Taverner had asked for his appointment to be delayed until that investigation was complete. The integrity office did not immediately respond to a question Thursday about the status of its probe.

Taverner, 72, rescinded his resignation from Toronto police and returned to his old job as unit commander of three divisions in the city’s northwest end.

He initially did not meet the criteria listed for the commissioner position and the government has admitted it lowered the requirements to attract a wider range of candidates.

Ford has previously described the job of OPP commissioner as a “political appointment,” but told the integrity commissioner in a December letter that he is not aware of any consultation with his office on the rank requirement change.

The premier told the integrity commissioner that his office was part of the initial recruitment planning process, and retained an external executive search firm to assist.

Blair has also threatened to sue Ford, alleging the premier damaged his reputation when he said Blair violated the Police Services Act by speaking out against Taverner’s hiring.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/03/07/ ... erner-opp/

Ontario’s provincial police need new leadership to fix systemic problems within their ranks and the province is committed to bringing about that change, Premier Doug Ford said Thursday after a close friend of his announced he’d no longer take the top job at the force.

Ford thanked Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner for putting his name forward for role of the OPP commissioner, and chided the Opposition for what he said were personal attacks on the veteran officer since his appointment was announced in November.

“Our objective has been new leadership up at the OPP to fix the systemic problems that we’re hearing non-stop from the front-line OPP officers,” Ford said, without detailing what those issues were.

“We need a new vision for the OPP. One that puts the front-line officers and the safety of the people of Ontario above everything else. Bringing about this change at OPP will require new leadership.”

Taverner said late Wednesday that he would no longer take the commissioner job given the controversy surrounding his appointment, which has included accusations of political interference.

The 72-year-old initially did not meet the criteria listed for the commissioner position and the government has admitted it lowered the requirements to attract a wider range of candidates. His installation into the post had been hold as the province’s integrity commissioner probed his hiring.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the selection process for the next OPP commissioner needs to be beyond reproach given the circumstances that surrounded Taverner’s hiring.

“It needs to be a completely independent process,” she said. “It can’t have Doug Ford’s fingerprints all over it. It can’t be a friend of the family. It can’t be somebody who has to have the qualifications reduced just so that they can qualify. It has to be completely separate from the government.”

Horwath also denied that the NDP did anything to hurt Taverner’s reputation as it raised questions about his appointment.

“All we’ve done is said he has bad choice in friends,” she said.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones defended the process by which Taverner was selected and said the government did nothing wrong. She would not comment on the process to select the next commissioner or what that person’s qualifications would have to be.

“I’m not going to presuppose who the next commissioner is,” she said.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser praised Taverner for withdrawing from consideration for the commissioner’s job. He said the government should acknowledge that the process that led to Taverner’s selection “eroded trust” in the premier’s office and the OPP.

“We must have a separation between police and the premier’s office and our politicians,” he said.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/03/07/ ... eadership/

TORONTO — The process to appoint the next provincial police commissioner should be independent and free of Premier Doug Ford’s “fingerprints,” Ontario’s Opposition leader said Thursday, after the winning candidate — a friend of the Ford family — pulled out of the running.

Ron Taverner, a longtime Toronto police superintendent, announced late Wednesday that he would no longer take the top job given the controversy surrounding his appointment, which included lowering requirements for the job after it was posted.

A deputy commissioner was among those who challenged Taverner’s appointment and was fired earlier this week. Brad Blair asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate Taverner’s appointment. The government has denied political involvement in Blair’s dismissal.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the selection process for the job of top cop needs to be beyond reproach.

“It needs to be a completely independent process,” she said. “It can’t have Doug Ford’s fingerprints all over it. It can’t be a friend of the family. It can’t be somebody who has to have the qualifications reduced just so that they can qualify.”

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser praised Taverner for withdrawing and said the Progressive Conservative government should acknowledge that his hiring “eroded trust” in the premier’s office and the OPP.

“We must have a separation between police and the premier’s office and our politicians,” he said.

Green party Leader Mike Schreiner echoed that call.

“The premier needs to commit that nobody who’s part of his personal circle is going to even consider applying for the job as OPP commissioner,” he said.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones defended the process by which Taverner was selected and said the government did nothing wrong. She would not comment on the process to select the next commissioner or what that person’s qualifications would have to be.

“I’m not going to presuppose who the next commissioner is,” she said.

Ford, for his part, thanked Taverner for putting his name forward for role of the OPP commissioner, and chided the Opposition for what he said were personal attacks on the veteran officer since his appointment was announced in November.

“Our objective has been new leadership up at the OPP to fix the systemic problems that we’re hearing non-stop from the front-line OPP officers,” Ford said, without detailing what those issues were.

“We need a new vision for the OPP. One that puts the front-line officers and the safety of the people of Ontario above everything else. Bringing about this change at OPP will require new leadership.”

Ford’s spokesman Simon Jefferies said later that the premier has spoken with OPP officers who have expressed concerns about low morale among front-line cops and said their voices are not being heard.

Meanwhile, Blair’s lawyer said his client felt vindicated in light of Taverner’s withdrawal.

Blair, who was also a candidate for the top job, has alleged his termination was an attempt to muzzle him. His lawyer, Julian Falconer, says the firing was “legally suspect.”

“Mr. Blair contests the legal validity of the termination of his employment as a sworn police officer of the OPP and he will seek full accountability and compensation for the actions leading to this termination,” Falconer said in a statement Thursday.

“Last night’s news vindicates Brad Blair’s unwavering resolve to protect the OPP from political interference.”

Blair has also threatened to sue Ford, alleging the premier damaged his reputation when he said Blair violated the Police Services Act by speaking out against Taverner’s hiring. A Ford spokesman has denied that the premier’s statements were a reprisal against Blair.

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