Ontario’s PC government found itself on the receiving end of a barrage of pointed questions from opposition parties and reporters at Queen’s Park Monday as MPPs used the return to the legislature to grill the Ford government over how money from the $2.5 billion Skills Development Fund was doled out.
Labour Minister David Piccini took most of the heat. Piccini has found himself in hot water recently over revelations that he attended a wedding in France and a hockey game with lobbyists who were applying for money from the fund, which is meant to help train workers for in-demand jobs.
Piccini has said he meets people through work with whom he socializes and that it was necessary for him to elevate some applicants over others that scored better to make sure that “government priorities” were being met.
A recent CTV News analysis found that at least $100 million from the fund ended up with clients of lobbyists connected to the premier’s office.
Opposition Leader Marit Stiles wasted no time going after Piccini in Question Period Monday, pointedly asking him “How was Paris?” after she rattled off the latest unemployment statistics for the province.
“Something doesn’t smell right here,” Stiles went on to say. “The minister admitted on live radio that he was hand picking low-score applications to receive funding over better applications, better proposals. And next thing we know, he’s either out there sipping champagne in Paris or enjoying rinkside seats with lobbyists who have business before his ministry,” Stiles said. “Can the minister explain how sipping champagne in front of the Champs Elysees is helping anybody here in Ontario find a real job?”
Piccini faced more tough questions from reporters in a scrum after Question Period, including one question about whether those who were successful in their applications had donated to his party.
“People are free to donate to whom they want. As I said, my focus is on Ontario workers,” Piccini said.
He defended the fund and said the money is going to worthwhile causes.
“This is about funding important programming that’s changing people’s lives, supporting first responders, supporting our construction sector,” Piccini told reporters.
Premier Doug Ford mostly directed questions about the fund to Piccini. Despite calls from all opposition parties for Piccini’s resignation, Ford’s office told CTV News Toronto Monday that the premier continues to have confidence in his labour minister.
“What the premier should be saying to the minister is, ‘you’re fired,’” MPP John Fraser, who leads the Liberals in the legislature, fired off in Question Period.
He added that PIccini “is clearly in conflict of interest” and told Ford “if you don’t think that’s wrong, that means you thinks it’s okay, that all this is good.”
Monday was the first time MPPs met at the legislature since breaking from Queen’s Park in early June, and the first time they convened since a report from Ontario’s auditor-general found that the process for picking applicants was “not fair, transparent or accountable.”
Meanwhile, one of the government’s first orders of business back in the legislature was a large bill aimed at reducing red tape, which included a proposed ban on municipal speed cameras.
Education Minister Paul Calandra also introduced a bill to fire a school board trustee with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board who allegedly refused to repay government money used for a trip to Italy to buy art.
With files from Siobhan Morris and Jon Woodward
