Doug Ford and his attempts to change the manner in which the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police is appointed

By Pepper Parr

February 21^st, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

First in a series.

We seem to be quite good at forgetting what a candidate for public office has done in the past.

Looked at seriously what Doug Ford has done since he was elected is stunning.

Recall his attempt to install a police friend (Doug Ford has a lot of police friends – a son-in-law is a police officer) as the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Ron Taverner: a Superintendent who who leads the force’s Etobicoke divisions

Ron Taverner, 72, was controversially named by Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government to become the next chief of the OPP in late November.

He later requested that the appointment be delayed, and the government said it would “respect” the request while the province’s integrity commissioner reviews the circumstances of his selection.

Taverner, a longtime family friend of Premier Doug Ford, did not meet the original requirements for the job posting. The government said it lowered the job qualifications to attract a wider field of candidates. He was later approved as the next OPP commissioner by the Ontario cabinet.

Ford has repeatedly denied any involvement in Taverner’s appointment, and said the decision was made by a hiring panel.

Doug Ford with Ron Taverner

Taverner — a 51-year veteran of Toronto police who leads the force’s Etobicoke divisions — said he decided to withdraw to protect the integrity of rank-and-file police officers, given the controversy surrounding his appointment.

Julian Falconer, a lawyer who represents a senior police officer said: “While long overdue, the premier and Superintendent Taverner have finally recognized what the rest of Ontario has known for some time: that a longstanding family friend of the premier cannot serve as the head of the OPP,” the statement read.