LIBERALS PINPOINT BOTTLENECK DELAYING APPOINTMENTS
BROCKVILLE – The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the bottleneck delaying hundreds of government appointments, some to fill vacancies more than a year old, a senior member of the McGunity cabinet revealed in a letter recently.
In granting a police board member a short extension of his term, Community Safety and Corrections Minister Monte Kwinter explained in a letter: “the Lieutenant Governor has not yet had an opportunity to make another appointment.”
“I can’t believe it,” said Bob Runciman, MPP for Leeds-Grenville and Leader of the Official Opposition. “The Liberals are actually blaming the Lieutenant Governor (James Bartleman) for the delay in making appointments to the provinces’ agencies and boards including community police services boards.
“There’s no doubt that someone reading this letter would conclude that provincial appointments are somehow being held up in the Lieutenant Governor’s office,” said Runciman. “This is ridiculous and I am sure the Lieutenant Governor would not appreciate this inference.
“I understand this government doesn’t want to take responsibility for anything but this brings the process to a new low … a comical low at that,” added Runciman.
In actual fact, ministry bureaucrats seek out and review applications for thousands of positions, some paid and some voluntary, and make recommendations to the ministry political people. These staffers scrutinize the recommended appointments and then they are sent along to cabinet for final approval. These appointments are referred to as Lieutenant Governor In Council appointments but the Lieutenant Governor’s role is confined to signing the final documentation.
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