Opposition wants external review of public appointments under Doug Ford

TORONTO — Ontario’s opposition parties are calling for a review of government appointments to be handled outside of Premier Doug Ford’s office.

Ford ordered a review Tuesday of all pending government appointments after at least three were revealed to have personal ties to his ex-chief of staff.

Dean French resigned late Friday following news that appointees to two foreign posts were personally connected to him, and a third connection emerged Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for Ford says if the premier finds that people have been appointed for the wrong reason, they will be removed from their positions.

But both the NDP and the Liberals say that review should not be an internal one, handled by a government that signed off on those appointments.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser wants the integrity commissioner to review all public appointments under the Tory government, and the NDP wants a legislative committee to do it.

The Canadian Press