Doug Ford just gave another Conservative insider a sweet gig: NDP

Doug Ford has given yet another of his friends a cushy gig, appointing his campaign’s tour director, Ian Todd, to be the trade representative to Washington for a cool $350,000 a year.

That’s $75,000 a year more than his predecessor, and even more than Canada’s ambassador to the United States is paid.

“Apparently, the Ford gravy train has arrived at Queen’s Park and it’s all aboard for Ford’s friends, and those he owes a favour to,” said NDP MPP Taras Natyshak. “Most Ontarians would be lucky to earn $75,000 a year, never mind getting a $75,000 bump in pay. And while Ford’s buddy gets that huge paycheque, Ontario families pay for it.”

Todd’s appointment is just the latest move by Doug Ford to appoint Ford Conservative insiders and friends to plum government positons. Ford appointed Conservative party president and political campaign advisor Rueben Devlin to a three-year term as a healthcare advisor for more than $1 million. Then he gave the Ford family lawyer, Gavin Tighe, a $667,000 government contract to sit on the Public Accountants Council.

Natyshak said Ford’s choice to hand out these pricey patronage appointments to Conservative insiders while he has started to make his deep cuts to education, violence against women programming and more is just wrong.

“Why is Doug Ford trading Liberal insiders for even more costly Conservative insiders while he tells the rest of Ontario the cupboard is bare?” asked Natyshak.