Top Labour Ministry aide departs Ford government days after minister shuffled out
Days after the ministerial shake-up, Piccini's chief of staff in the Ministry of Labour also departed his post according to a memo from Ford's office.
David Piccini, the Minister of Labour, departed the Ford government days after he was reassigned from his role, according to Global News. This move came on the heels of a $2.5 billion skills development fund scandal under investigation by the Ontario Integrity Commissioner. The investigation, sparked by an auditor general probe, raised concerns over the fairness, transparency, and accountability of the government's fund distribution process.
The auditor revealed that Piccini's office was involved in decision-making and distribution of the fund, and that low-scoring applicants were often prioritized over higher-scoring ones. Some successful applicants were revealed to have hired lobbyists connected to the Progressive Conservative Party. While Premier Doug Ford reportedly awaited the results of the ethics probe before reshuffling his cabinet, the province has yet to receive clarity on the status of the report.
Piccini was moved to the position of Minister of Infrastructure, overseeing a $236 billion capital spending plan. His chief of staff in the Ministry of Labour also left his post days after the ministerial shuffle. Opposition parties suspect the government is attempting to preempt the ethics investigation and move on from the scandal by making these staffing changes.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
