Ford must address allegations that chief of staff sought to interfere with police: critics

TORONTO — Ontario's opposition parties are calling on Premier Doug Ford to address allegations that his chief of staff sought to interfere in police investigations into illegal cannabis dispensaries.

A Toronto Star report published Tuesday alleges that Dean French unsuccessfully ordered senior political aides to instruct police to raid dispensaries the day recreational cannabis became legal.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, says the order was issued in conference calls on Oct. 17 but was rebuffed by staff in the offices of the community safety minister and attorney general.

Ford was asked about the allegations during question period Wednesday but would not comment directly on them, nor would he say whether he had spoken to French about them.

The premier instead touted his good relationship with law enforcement and stressed that combatting the illegal drug trade remains his government's top priority when it comes to cannabis.

Some opposition legislators called for an independent investigation into the allegations, and all denounced what they described as a lack of transparency from the premier.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said he was considering lodging a complaint with Ontario's integrity commissioner.

"Mr. French, if he indeed did this, should step aside and the premier should ask him," he said.

While it's possible the premier wasn't aware of his chief of staff's alleged actions, it was incumbent on him to inquire after they came to light, he said.

Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said it was "outrageous" that anyone in the premier's office would consider making demands of police.

"It's is a disturbing abuse of power for the premier's chief of staff to interfere in police decisions for political purposes. That is the very definition of a police state," Schreiner said in a statement.

"I'm calling for an independent investigation into these allegations. The people of Ontario deserve to have confidence in the integrity of the premier's office."

New Democrats said they would look into what steps they could take but insisted it's the premier's job to hold his staff accountable.

"This is what's very, very troubling to me, it's that the premier today gets up and doesn't answer my questions at all and denies that this is even going on," NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said.

Ford told the legislature Wednesday that it's his government's expectation that police will enforce the law.

"Our job is to make laws. The police's job is to enforce the laws, and I support the police," he said, adding that more than 90 per cent of illegal dispensaries in the province have been shut down.

French did not respond to a request for comment.

Ford told reporters Tuesday that he did not believe allegations published in The Globe and Mail earlier this month that said French interfered in staffing matters at one of the province's Crown corporations. However, the premier also said he had not asked French about that report.

The published report said French personally asked the Ontario Power Generation to fire Alykhan Velshi, who used to hold a key role in the office of Ford's predecessor — former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown.

It said Velshi was fired the day he started working for the OPG after French asked the head of the company's board for his removal, but his termination has yet to formally take effect.

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press