INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK Vol. 31, No. 15 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL ANALYSIS July 24, 2019

Province failing to implement police de-escalation training review, ombudsman says By Jack Hauen

The provincial government has not yet implemented a review of how police are trained in de-escalation tactics, which was supposed to come by the summer of 2018, Ontario's ombudsman said in a recent report. In his 2018-19 annual report, Ombudsman Paul Dubé wrote that three years after a damning 2016 report from his office that found police sorely lacking in training on how to "use their mouths" instead of their guns, key recommendations remain unaddressed. The 2016 report found a "shortfall in provincial guidance on the use of force and de-escalation" and made 22 recommendations — including more training for officers on mental health issues and scenario-based training — all of which were accepted by the previous Liberal government. One of those recommendations was a requirement for officers to use de-escalation tactics before resorting to force. While the current government passed the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act in March — which requires de-escalation training for all officers — a review of the training curriculum is more than a year behind schedule, Dubé said. "The Ministry (of Community Safety and Correctional Services) advised us in April 2018 that a review of the Ontario Police College’s de-escalation training curriculum would be completed by summer; it still has not been finalized," Dubé wrote in the annual report released in June 2019. He added that the current government has told him it "continues to research" the use of police body cameras, among other recommendations from the 2016 report still not implemented. In an April 3, 2018 release, the former Liberal government promised to "transform" de-escalation training in the province, saying it would design a new curriculum using "evidence-based critical decision tools to guide police officers while performing their duties." The release said the framework would be established by summer 2018. Ministry of the Solicitor General spokesperson Brent Ross said the ministry is still in the process of "conducting a scientific review and supporting evidence-based research that will inform the government regarding de-escalation practices, the efficacy of police training on de-escalation, and how it relates to the current use of force model in Ontario." The ombudsman's office did not respond to a request for comment. Dubé's 2016 report, titled "A Matter of Life and Death," outlined dozens of cases in which investigators found police could have practiced de-escalation instead of killing someone. Many victims were experiencing a mental health crisis, sometimes armed with a small or awkward weapon like a hammer or table leg. It noted that hundreds of recommendations had been made to improve police responses over the years through coroner’s inquests, a retired Supreme Court Justice and others. "Over and over, dating back nearly three decades, these reports and recommendations have emphasized the importance of police using de-escalation techniques when dealing with people in crisis. They call for simple directions, such as calmly offering to help, instead of shouting, with guns drawn. Yet very little has been done to implement this advice," the report stated. A government-commissioned University of Toronto study covered in the Toronto Star echoed the report's findings two years later, finding that de-escalation training is inconsistently applied throughout the province — and that the Ontario Police College, where all new recruits are trained, teaches only "superficial" de-escalation techniques. “Based on research, we recommend a paradigm shift in policing: a movement away from a focus only on weapons and tactics to a focus on the individual officer,” said the report, written by a team of researchers led by psychologist Judith Andersen, who studies training and stress response in police. The study, which is not available to the public, recommends standardizing and increasing de-escalation training across the province. Complaints have risen in a number of other policing-related areas, Dubé wrote in his report. In youth custody facilities, the ombudsman's office received 47 complaints in 2018-19, up from 15 and 20 over the past two years, respectively. Dubé said he and his staff plan to visit several of these facilities over the next year. The office also received 483 complaints about lockdowns in 2018-19, up from 437 the previous year. Most complaints were related to inmates lacking access to phones, showers, day rooms or activities. Nearly 200 inmates were placed in lockdown due to a staff work slowdown or summer vacations, Dubé wrote. "Many inmates complained that long periods of lockdown were harmful to their mental health, as they were deprived of many basic necessities and the ability to contact loved ones or lawyers," he said. Dubé also received a letter from 21 inmates at one detention centre who wrote that Indigenous inmate mental health was becoming an “ongoing crisis.” Dubé said his team found there were at least five jails lacking a Native Inmate Liaison Officer (NILO) — a position established in response to the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action to enhance cultural supports for Indigenous inmates. "At three of these (facilities), staff told us that recruiting a NILO was difficult and that the relationship between Indigenous communities and the ministry needed to be strengthened," Dubé wrote.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK Premier dismisses questions about influence of lobbying firm owners By David Hains

LUCAN, Ont.—The way Premier Doug Ford sees it, all those stakeholders hiring lobbyists are wasting their money. "No one can influence Doug Ford," contended the premier, who spoke in the third person. He was responding to questions at an announcement in the London-area following a Globe and Mail report about Chris Froggatt and Kory Teneycke, the principals of top lobbying firms Loyalist Public Affairs and Rubicon Strategy, which described the extent of the influence of the former Ford campaign officials in this government. The premier brushed off questions about the state of affairs, arguing that his government is above reproach. "I'll take political advice, but no one interferes in the decisions of cabinet as a whole," said the premier, who then pivoted to talking up the economy. The premier declined to tighten lobbyist standards at Queen's Park, which offers less clarity than federal guidelines that outline the conflict of interest risks for political professionals who are connected to lobbying activities and also help with political activities like campaign strategy or communications. The Globe report landed as the government continues to struggle to turn the corner on its patronage scandal which broke more than four weeks ago, and has resulted in eight departures of staffers and appointees, including the premier's former chief of staff, Dean French. At his first press availability in Ontario since the scandal broke, the premier was dogged by questions on the issue despite a feel-good announcement about investing in broadband and cellular infrastructure in rural Ontario. The premier said he doesn't speak to French, his former top confidant, anymore. He added that he wishes French all the best. The impatient premier offered curt responses to questions related to French and the patronage scandal. He said that he already addressed the issue in Calgary and Saskatoon, and that everyday Ontarians, unlike the media don't ask him about the issue. "When I'm out there, I don't hear about this," he said, claiming that the media has its own "agenda" and that the patronage scandal was "an old story." But on one query from IQP, the premier appeared confused and responded to a question about Froggatt's and Teneycke's roles in his administration by instead addressing the ongoing patronage scandal. On the appointments, the premier promised that the government was working to improve, but he offered little in the way of details. "We're putting a new process in place to make sure that everything is transparent. I look forward to doing that." Last week IQP reported that pending appointments will be reviewed by the premier's office, and the appointment process itself is being reviewed by Treasury Board. A recent public opinion poll conducted by Corbett Communications for the Toronto Star revealed that trust in government is a top-of-mind issue for Ontarians right now, with 57 per cent agreeing with a question that characterized the government as "corrupt" and 63 per cent agreeing that the government has appointed too many "cronies." The public perception threatens to undermine the Ford Nation brand, which was built on a populist agenda of respecting taxpayer dollars and putting everyday voters first. Despite trying to keep out of the news in the summer Ford continues to poll poorly, with Corbett Communication finding in its July 9-10 poll that his net approval rating is a dismal -49 percentage points, and Abacus Data releasing results that showed him at -38 percentage points. Green Leader Mike Schreiner slammed the approach from the PCs as failing to uphold their promise to be better on trust and accountability than the previous government. "If the heads of lobbyist firms are moonlighting as Ford’s closest advisers, then the Premier is playing the same backroom game he railed against the Liberals." Schreiner explained what he saw as the risks of the relationship between principals of lobbyist firms and the premier's office. "This is dangerous for democracy. It prevents unbiased decision-making in the public interest. I urge Premier Ford to tighten rules for lobbyists and increase transparency rather than conducting business under a cloak of darkness." The announcement in Lucan was meant to highlight a $315 million investment over five years in internet and cellphone service in rural and remote communities, which the government said would offer "new connections for up to 220,000 homes and businesses." The government's plan allocates $150 million for a new broadband fund, which will be aligned with federal funds and private sector involvement. The PC government's plan is less than the $500 million over three years the Liberals announced in the previous government's 2018 election-year budget.

Dean French drops lawsuit against MPP Randy Hillier By David Hains

The premier’s former chief of staff has dropped a libel lawsuit against MPP Randy Hillier. Dean French, who resigned from his post as Premier Doug Ford’s top staffer more than four weeks ago in the wake of a patronage scandal, has decided not to pursue libel and defamation litigation against the maverick MPP who was ousted from the PC caucus earlier this year. A statement from French’s lawyer Gavin Tighe, who has also represented members of the Ford family, outlined the reasons for dropping the case in a statement.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK “Mr. French is grateful that Mr. Hillier has taken down the defamatory tweets,” he wrote, referring to tweets in which Hillier connected French to alleged misconduct in leadership races in Alberta and Ontario, a claim made with limited evidence and that French has consistently denied, describing it in his statement of claim as “blatantly false.” Tighe added in his statement, “Given that Mr. French is no longer involved with government and there were never any monetary damages sought by Mr. French personally (as all damages would have been donated to charity as set out in the statement of claim) there was little point in carrying on with expensive and time consuming litigation.” Hillier apologized for and deleted the tweets in question, but French deemed the apology to be inadequate. The independent-minded MPP mounted a defence in the case, saying through lawyer Asher Honickman in legal filings that French held a “personal vendetta” against him, and responding in his defence that French already had a “negative reputation” before the lawsuit. While Hillier was confident that he would have won the case, he also expressed relief that it was dropped. “I was always of the view that the lawsuit would not be successful,” the MPP told IQP, adding that he was “pleased” with the outcome. But Hillier didn’t see the dropped lawsuit as an opening to re-engage with the Tories. “I have no interest or desire to return to the PC caucus under the current leadership,” he said by phone. He added that there could be a path where he returns to caucus, but “there would have to be significant changes.” He went on to say, “I am not satisfied with the administration as it currently is,” citing what he feels are serious issues when it comes to integrity and competence. The premier’s office did not immediately comment on the dropped lawsuit or whether it would welcome Hillier back into the fold.

OPG board member with ties to Dean French resigns By David Hains

An Ontario Power Generation board member resigned from his position following concerns about his ties to the premier's former chief of staff, Dean French. "Jeff Coles tendered his resignation late yesterday (July 18) due to other professional commitments," OPG spokesperson Neal Kelly told IQP after the publication asked if he was still on the board. Coles was abruptly named to the board in October 2018, where his placement caused industry and government concern. An OPG insider told IQP on background that the "out of the blue" move caught management unaware. A government source referred to him dismissively as "the elevator guy," referring to his professional background. The understanding at the time, industry sources said on background, was that Coles was on the board to be the successor as chair to former Progressive Conservative New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord, who had been placed in the role by the Liberal government in 2014. But Coles was only "marginally qualified" to be on the board, according to one OPG insider, and "massively unqualified" to be board chair of the for-profit government business enterprise that supplies half the power to the province. His previous energy sector experience was limited to a 2014 appointment to the board of Oshawa Power & Utilities Corporation. Coles spent most of his professional career in elevator and escalator sales before pivoting to the steel industry in recent years. He is currently the president of the TAGG Group of Companies. Board members receive at least $31,000 annually, and the chair of the board receives $150,000. All board appointments at OPG are made by the sole shareholder, the government of Ontario. Coles, a longtime Tory, had deep connections with French, who was until June the most powerful staffer in the provincial government. Portrayed in media reports at the time as young turks taking on Ontario's establishment conservatives, Coles and French had run Stockwell Day's successful leadership efforts in Ontario in 2000, and after a win took jobs as staffers in the office of the federal official opposition leader. Their efforts didn't work out but the two remained connected. Like Peter Fenwick and Ian Neita, who have been caught up in the patronage scandal, Coles endorses French's skills on LinkedIn. Coles' friend Mike Heenan, who has extensive experience in the health sector, was also part of Fenwick's disbanded transformation team. Coles' wife Sheri is also on the board for the College of Early Childhood Educators. Sources told IQP Coles sometimes boasted of his connection to French, and suggested to energy industry stakeholders that he would be the next chair of OPG, a top government appointment. One source who has held several top government appointments and spoke to IQP on background because he was concerned what Coles' role would mean for OPG, described Coles' conduct as that of a "jackass." Coles could not immediately be reached for comment. We will update this story as soon as he responds. When Lord stepped down from his post in late June, there was little fanfare following his five years of service — there was no publicly-available congratulatory note that might be expected in the circumstances. Instead Wendy Kei, a widely- respected executive with varied board experience, government and energy sector experience and a Chartered Professional Accountant designation, was quietly named the new chair. In the aftermath of the patronage scandal, the government passed over Coles, who had also been named to the board of directors of McMaster University in March. In addition to the government's ongoing patronage scandal, which has so far seen seven people step down from positions in connection to it, it's also a sensitive time for the energy file at Queen's Park. The premier's office did not answer questions about whether it had any role in Coles' resignation, and pointed to a statement it had previously issued in regards to appointments.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK "The premier has directed his staff to review all pending appointments. Additionally, if the premier finds that people have been appointed for the wrong reason and are not performing to the highest standards these individuals will be removed from their positions," spokesperson Ivana Yelich wrote. In a statement Energy Minister Greg Rickford said, "Our government is ensuring that OPG’s board members have excellent qualifications to support OPG’s generation of reliable baseload power to the people of Ontario. I would like to thank Mr. Coles for serving on the board and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.” The government is currently undergoing a significant effort to work with stakeholders like OPG, Hydro One, the Ontario Energy Board and the Independent Electricity System Operation in an effort to achieve real energy rate savings to pass along to consumers and businesses, a key campaign promise. Rickford has acknowledged to IQP that this objective will require significant work, co-operation and will likely be achieved incrementally.

New signs slated for highways after motorcyclists get green light to use HOV lanes By Sneh Duggal

Don’t be alarmed if you start seeing single rider motorcyclists cruising along on high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes across the province — they are now allowed to do so. The Progressive Conservative government has approved a change to the Highway Traffic Act that would allow motorcyclists on HOV lanes that are typically reserved for vehicles with two or more people. The new rule went into effect on July 1. While the government has taken to putting up new “open for business” signs at border crossings, it will also be installing new signs to reflect this HOV lane change. “Updated highway sign infrastructure will be in place to implement this change,” Bob Nichols, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation, wrote in an email. The ministry did not respond to follow up questions before publication about what the signs would look like, when they would be put in place or how much they would cost. The notice on the province’s regulatory registry about the change in regulation said the “introduction of an occupancy exemption for motorcycles as proposed is aimed at enhancing road user safety and aligning Ontario’s HOV rules with other jurisdictions.” Nichols noted safety as one of the reasons for the change. “Motorcyclists are safer in HOV lanes as these lanes reduce exposure to start and stop traffic and frequent lane changes,” he said. “Motorcycle crashes can cause much more severe injuries than accidents involving only cars, and riding in an HOV lane can reduce many of the hazards commonly faced by motorcyclists on busy highways.” Nichols said the government doesn’t expect the change to cause a “large influx of traffic on HOV lanes” since motorcycles constitute less than 2 per cent of the province’s vehicles. HOV lanes in Ontario can be found on several 400-series highways including the 403, 404, 410 and 417 along with the QEW. If you’re driving on an HOV lane, you need to have at least two people in the vehicle if it is a car, van, light truck or commercial truck less than 6.5 metres in length. Vehicles that were previously exempt from the two-person occupancy rule were buses, taxis, emergency vehicles or those with green licence plates, but now motorcycles have been added to the list. Failing to meet the requirements of using an HOV lane can result in a fine of $110 and three demerit points. Dave Millier, chair of the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada, applauded the move, saying he’s been lobbying for this change for several years. “We’re very pleased with the change,” he said. Millier said the new rule would work toward reducing pollution as it would get people who own motorcycles out of bigger cars. He acknowledged the benefits of public transportation, but added that he thinks “the people that are going to use the HOV lanes with a motorcycle are people that would likely traditionally have been driving their car just as a single person, and so now the main reason they would get on their bike is because they now can move from the main gridlock of traffic ... and they can now travel a lot faster on the HOV lane.” But Millier said he sees the biggest benefit as being added safety. “By moving them over into that HOV lane, they’re not in the main flow of traffic with cars,” he said, noting the additional separation that is often seen through markings on the road’s surface between the HOV and other lanes. “It actually puts an extra barrier between the drivers and the motorcyclists,” he said.

Furious Ford calls escaped CAMH patient who fled country “nutcase” and “crazy, crazy” By David Hains

Premier Doug Ford took to Newstalk 1010 to discuss the case of a man with major mental illness who was found not criminally responsible for murder, and referred to him as a "nutcase," "crazy, crazy," and added that "they should lock him up and throw away the key." The loaded language from a livid premier was immediately decried by the opposition and mental health advocates as inappropriate for the situation. The premier spoke with Newstalk 1010 radio host Jerry Agar, where the segment exclusively focused on the case of 48- year-old Zhebin Cong, a man who in 2016 was found not criminally responsible for second-degree murder after killing 56-

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK year-old roommate San Tai Yuan with a meat cleaver in 2014. Justice Ian MacDonnell found in the case that Cong, who doctors say likely has schizophrenia, was incapable of discerning right from wrong. Cong recently fled Canada to China after going missing for two weeks. The premier was incensed at the state of affairs, fuming on the radio that someone dropped the ball in the case. "I'm disgusted with it, it's unbelievable," the premier said of the case. "They say this guy is low-risk and he chopped up his roommate with a meat cleaver. What are people thinking?" he exclaimed, calling out the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Review Board and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "Somebody's going to be answering," he warned. "There's obviously a breakdown in communication. The cheese has slipped off the cracker with someone," he added, employing a go-to euphemism the premier has used in the past to refer to people or groups as crazy. "We're going to get down to the bottom of this. You can't let guys like this loose. You throw away the key," he continued, calling out the federal government for letting Cong travel. Ford acknowledged that he hadn't spoken to TPS, the ORB or CAMH in the past 48 hours but that he would do so that day. "I wouldn't want to have lunch beside this guy, I'll tell you that," Ford said. "The other question — how many more of these guys are walking the street?" the premier asked rhetorically without providing additional evidence or context. The premier rejected the notion that the event had anything to do with funding levels for mental health, and said only "the far left" would blame him for such a thing. One of the PC government's first actions was to reduce planned mental health funding by $335 million annually. Frances Jewell, the executive director of the non-profit Mental Health Rights Coalition, decried the premier's language he used on the radio. "The language is not helpful in supporting those with mental health issues, it's stigmatizing and harmful," she said when informed of the terms that he used to describe the case. When asked whether the context of the individual case, where a man was killed, gives more latitude to the kind of terms that can be used, she said it remains unacceptable. "It shouldn't mean that we get to name-call and use hurtful language," she told IQP, adding that the response from the premier was "troubling." The government has touted its investment in mental health and stated that it's a priority. The premier used #BellLetsTalk day in late January to promote the subject. Some in the premier's office recently called out a Toronto Star editorial cartoon that depicted Lisa MacLeod, who has openly struggled with mental health issues, in a straitjacket. Health Minister Christine Elliott called the depiction "harmful" at the time. Asked about his language at an afternoon presser, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones didn't apologize for the premier's terms but instead explained them in light of the context. "I think it's pretty clear emotions are high right now," she said. "The individual in question did a very heinous crime," the solicitor general said of Cong, who was found not criminally responsible. NDP MPP Taras Natyshak said that public safety was the priority, but added that the premier's language was inappropriate. "To be inarticulate — as Doug is wont to be — doesn’t help this issue," he said, chiding the premier. He also called him out for trying to pin the issue on political critics. "His default is to blame it on the leftists when, hey, you’re in charge, Doug. This is your problem, this is your government."

Industry groups say Buy American proposals ‘not good for Canadian business’ By Sneh Duggal

Ontario industries are voicing concerns about the possibility of increased protectionist measures from the United States and are trying to determine what the impact would be for Canadian companies. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 15 that called for more American steel and iron to be used in federal contracts — 95 per cent versus the current 50 per cent. The proposals are being made under the Buy American Act, which establishes a preference for American-made goods in federal contracts. Trump also proposed that the threshold for the percentage of other U.S. components that would be needed in order for a product to qualify as American-made would be bumped up to 75 per cent from 50 per cent. With Ontario being a manufacturing and steel hub, Premier Doug Ford called the news "deeply concerning." "The move to increase these provisions is another blow to Ontario and Canadian manufacturing," he said in a statement on July 15. “As premier, I spend every day fighting for workers and good paying jobs in our manufacturing sector." Dennis Darby, president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, said that the organization is committed to working with Canadian government officials to "argue against the need and the appropriateness of" the new Buy American proposals. "It’s not good for Canadian business, it's not good for Ontario manufacturers," he said, noting that 40 per cent of the country's manufacturing sector lies in Ontario. Darby said the implications for Ontario manufacturers is that if they want to bid on contracts, they would have to do some of the production in the U.S. or partner with U.S. companies to do part of the work. "These kinds of provisions have a real effect on businesses, because it forces them to put production investment in the U.S.," he said. Darby said Canada should do "everything in our power" to try to prevent such provisions from being formalized, but if needed, officials should go one step further.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK "If the U.S. doesn’t back down, then Canada should threaten reciprocity, we should threaten to put Buy Canadian conditions on Canadian procurement projects," he said, adding though that he would prefer neither side to have such policies in place. Christopher Sands, director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University, also said that one option for Ontario specifically would be to look at implementing some sort of "Buy Ontario" policy. Catherine Cobden, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, said she was concerned about the latest development, especially as it is on the heels of Canada getting the U.S. to lift its steel and aluminum tariffs. She said the tariffs had a "significant" impact on the Canadian industry. "Here we are a couple of months down the road, it’s almost the two-month anniversary of the tariffs being lifted, so we’re really trying to get ourselves back on our feet, so any measure that ... gets in the middle of the free and fair trade of steel goods between Canada and the U.S. works against us," she said. She said Buy American provisions aren't new and have had an impact on the industry already, so stricter provisions would be unhelpful. "The Buy American provisions have existed already at a 50 per cent level on federal procurement projects and even at that level, this was having a negative impact or a chill factor if you will on Canadian steel being using in federal infrastructure projects in the U.S.," she said. "So the executive order that brought this from 50 per cent to 95 per cent will obviously add further challenges to getting Canadian steel used to any federal procurement project." She said that the "biggest flaw" in the U.S. administration's approach is that "it fails to understand the integrated nature of the Canadian and U.S. steel markets," and that these kinds of measures get in the way of free trade. Cobden noted that these types of regulations are very "complex" and that the association is waiting for further details and to understand the "impact that this could have in real terms." She noted that any impact would likely hit Ontario hardest since the province produces 70 per cent of Canada's steel. However, Cobden stressed that unlike the steel and aluminum tariffs, these proposed measures don't affect all aspects of the marketplace, just federal procurement. "It’s just a component of the whole market," she said. International trade lawyer Lawrence Herman said he doesn't think Trump's proposals will be good for Canada or for Ontario. "I don’t think this is a good development at all," he said. "Unfortunately I don’t believe that there’s much that Canada can do about it." "I’m not hopeful because the U.S. administration under Mr. Trump is highly protectionist," Herman said, adding that given the U.S. is in "pre-election mode," he doesn't think the U.S. president is "going to back off on anything he sees as helping him in his re-election prospects." However, this doesn't mean Canadian officials shouldn't try, he argued. "I think the Canadian government and Ontario government know what has to be done putting political pressure on the U.S. administration and the more pressure, the better," he said. "If they can get an exemption, that would be terrific, I just think it’s going to be very difficult." Premier Ford's office said that while a trip to lobby U.S. officials was not in the "immediate future," he is open to "doing his part" to ensure that Canada is heard. The Buy American policies are a "massive concern" for Ford, his office said, adding that the provincial government was waiting to hear from the federal government about what they've done on this front. In his statement earlier this week, the premier criticized the Justin Trudeau government for a "lack of federal leadership when it comes to fighting for Canadian workers when it comes to these protectionist measures." "Most recently, we saw the news that over 500 jobs in Thunder Bay would be lost due to the federal government’s failure to get a Canadian exemption," he said, referring to Bombardier's recent announcement. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s job is simple — he must push for Canadian exemptions from Buy America, to protect Ontario and Canadian workers," Ford said. "I’m ready to work with him 100 per cent to achieve this goal. As America’s closest ally and largest trading partner, this is in both countries’ best interest.” Meanwhile, the federal government said it would "continue to defend our national interest and advocate against any new proposals that would negatively affect jobs and our deeply-integrated cross-border supply chains." "These close supply chains have strengthened North America’s capability to compete and to succeed in the global marketplace, and we benefit from that strength here in Canada," said Adam Austen, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland. "Canada will participate in the U.S. consultation process and vigorously defend our suppliers and producers," Austen said, adding that suppliers are "entitled to equal opportunity to bid on most U.S. federal procurement contracts" because Canada is a party to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement.

People

• Andrew Brander, formerly the director of communications for Rod Phillips, has joined Crestview Strategy’s Toronto office as a senior consultant. • Dan Jacobs, formerly the chief of staff to Michael Tibollo and Steve Clark, joined the premier’s office as an advisor to the chief of staff.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK • Nina Chiarelli, formerly the chief of staff to Energy Minister Greg Rickford, was appointed as the deputy minister of communications.

✍FOR YOUR DIARY

Jul. 25 Premier Doug Ford is the keynote speaker at the Peel Region Leader’s Reception. 6 p.m. Capitol Banquet Centre, 6435 Dixie Rd., Mississauga. $1,000 per ticket. Aug. 8 Premier Doug Ford will be the keynote speaker at a $1,000-per-person Beamsville fundraiser for the PC Party. Redstone Winery, 4245 King St., Beamsville. $1,000 per ticket. Aug. 22 PC MPP Michael Tibollo will host a BBQ fundraiser for the Vaughan-Woodbridge PC Association. 7 p.m., Fontana Primavera, 77 Woodstream Blvd., Vaughan. $500 per ticket.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK 1 Yonge Street, 5th Floor Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1E6; Tel: 416-869-4973 Email: [email protected]; Website: www.InsideQueensPark.com.

If you have information for our PEOPLE or FOR YOUR DIARY sections, please submit to: [email protected]

Subscribers may distribute the IQP newsletter within their own organization, but are reminded that its contents are copyright protected and may not be distributed beyond the organization. Please contact us if you wish to share this content with others.

INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK