Ford appoints ultimate backroom deal maker Campbell to handle Ontario’s books

QUEEN’S PARK – Doug Ford has hired embattled former British Columbia premier Gordon Campbell to help him with Ontario’s books – despite Campbell’s having presided over one of the most notorious backroom deal scandals in Canadian history.

“As premier, Campbell cut social services, fired scores of public employees and sold off and privatized public assets like ferries and BC Rail’s entire operation,” said NDP MPP Peter Tabuns. “It was that BC Rail privatization that resulted in Railgate – after police uncovered a backroom deal that cost people hundreds of millions of dollars. Massive police raids, a huge investigation and multiple guilty pleas for breach of trust is Gordon Campbell’s legacy.”

Tabuns said there’s no good reason for Ford to bring in a politician to lead an audit – let alone one famous for cutting and privatizing.

“Instead of listening to the many non-partisan auditors Ontario already employs, Doug Ford is bringing in a politician to help him execute his plan,” said Tabuns. “It’s pretty clear this audit is about Ford and Campbell looking for places to cut and things to sell off. He wants someone working for him to do this audit, not the auditors working for the people of Ontario.”

Ford campaigned on cutting $6 billion from services Ontarians count on – from health care to children’s classrooms – but hasn’t yet revealed where the axe will fall.