CALGARY – Premier Doug Ford is brushing off questions about a controversy around government appointees who were found to have personal ties to his former chief of staff.
Dean French abruptly left his job as Ford’s top adviser more than two weeks ago when it first emerged that people given lucrative foreign postings were personally connected to him.
Ford revoked those appointments, and news of other government appointments having connections to French have since emerged.
The premier took questions about the controversy today for the first time since it began, during a joint news conference with other premiers in Calgary, but quickly pivoted to other topics.
He says reporters want to “get into the weeds,” and that people don’t worry about his former chief of staff, they worry about jobs and the economy.
Ford says he already addressed the issue – his staff have said he has ordered a review of pending appointments, though they have offered few details.
WATCH: New controversy surrounding Ontario government appointments (June 2019)