Article content

Premier Doug Ford is “disappointed” that a series of provincial appointees were found to have personal ties to his ex-chief of staff, a cabinet minister said Thursday.

Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson, recently demoted in a cabinet shuffle from the education portfolio, said government needs to “be better.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Ford 'disappointed' appointments personally tied to French: Thompson Back to video

“I’m disappointed, as is the premier, in what has happened, but I can tell you we are united as a team to ensure that going forward everyone hired by government or appointed … they’ll be appointed or hired based on their merits and of course performance reviews are paramount as well,” she said.

Thompson fielded questions about the controversy after an unrelated announcement Thursday.

Ford ordered a review Tuesday of all pending government appointments, days after his chief of staff Dean French resigned following news that appointees to two foreign posts were personally connected to him, and just hours after a third connection was revealed.