FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2015
THUNDER BAY – Today, the Ontario Provincial Police announced they have laid breach of trust and mischief charges against David Livingston, former Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Chief of Staff, and Laura Miller, former Deputy Chief of Staff, following the completion of an almost two year investigation.
“It’s a disgrace that in the past three years there have been serious allegations levied against several high-ranking officials in the Government of Ontario,” said Patrick Brown, Leader of the Official Opposition. “Now the OPP has confirmed that the actions of prominent Liberal operative Gerry Lougheed Jr., and Premier McGuinty’s Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff warrant criminal charges. How many key decision-makers in the Liberal Party need to be charged before the Premier will take responsibility?”
“The chickens have come home to roost for the Liberals,” MPP Toby Barrett said. “These charges for alleged crimes confirm what we as the Official Opposition were saying. It’s a shame that the costs for the cancellation are close to $1 billion that Ontario ratepayers are paying on each and every electricity bill.”
Livingston and Miller are being charged in connection with the destruction of emails related to the cancellation of the two gas fired power plants leading up to the transition period to the Wynne administration in early 2013.
“Government officials must uphold the integrity, transparency and lawfulness their positions require, and Ontarians deserve,” Brown added. “Premier Wynne campaigned on accountability and transparency, and Ontarians thought she would be different. I don’t know what Kathleen Wynne can do to restore credibility to the Office of the Premier now that the OPP has laid charges against top Liberal operatives.”
Brown concluded, with a reminder about other ongoing investigations. “We need to remember that this is not the end of the OPP investigations into the Premier’s Office. Pat Sorbara, Premier Wynne’s Deputy Chief of Staff is still the subject of an OPP investigation of alleged breach of the Elections Act in relation to the Sudbury by-election scandal.”
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org