The Ontario NDP are proposing changes that would prohibit government members from accepting gifts that might be seen as a conflict of interest.
The proposed amendments to the Members’ Integrity Act were introduced on Monday, months after it was revealed developers attended a stag and doe party for Premier Doug Ford’s daughter.
As it stands now, the Members’ Integrity Act says a member of the Ontario assembly “shall not accept a fee, gift or personal benefit that is connected directly or indirectly with the performance of the member’s duties of office.”
The NDP amendment would change that to include the wording “might reasonably be seen to have been given in connection, directly or indirectly, with the performance of the member’s duties of office.”
The idea, Leader Marit Stiles said, is that the rules should cover both legitimate conflicts of interest as well as the appearance of a conflict.
“I do hope that a government just understands that the appearance of conflict of interest is a problem too,” she said. “But this government clearly struggling with that concept. So we're going to add a little bit more teeth to the Members’ Integrity Act.”
“I want to make sure that Ontarians, get greater accountability from the government.”
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Ontario’s integrity commissioner was asked by the NDP to investigate whether Ford acted improperly in relation to his daughter’s stag and doe party. Integrity Commissioner David Wake said in mid-March there were “flaws” in the request but he was not “prepared to dismiss it.”
The commissioner said staff are reviewing “extensive material” and have done “independent research,” however he will be pausing the request while he conducts a separate investigation into whether Housing Minister Steve Clark contravened the Members’ Integrity Act by tipping off developers ahead of the province’s decision to carve up 7,400 acres of previously protected Greenbelt land.
Wake said he will resume the stag and doe probe once he determines if there was wrongdoing in relation to the government’s Greenbelt plans.
Ford has repeatedly said his daughter’s stag and doe party was a private affair, and that he did not have control over the guest list. He also said the integrity commissioner previously cleared him of wrongdoing.
According to Wake, Ford denied receiving any financial contributions from developers or lobbyists in attendance and was adamant that no government business was discussed.
The government sidestepped inquiries by Stiles in question period Monday over whether or not they will support the amendments to the Members’ Integrity Act, saying only that they are “singularly focused on improving the lives of the people of the province of Ontario.”
Without support from the Ford Progressive Conservatives, the NDP bill will not pass.