Ontario Agriculture
Minister Jeff Leal has been cleared of wrongdoing in an investigation by the
province’s integrity commissioner.
 |
Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal, federal Liberal
candidate Raj Saini, MPP Daiene Vernile and a Block 3 employee pose at
an event announcing provincial funding to help the company increase its
production and promotion, Sept. 1, 2015. (Daiene Vernile/Twitter)
|
Kitchener-Conestoga Conservative
MPP Michael Harris accused Leal and Daiene Vernile, Liberal MPP for
Kitchener-Centre, of partisan politics during the federal election campaign.
Harris complained after he
saw photos of the two Liberal MPPs with federal Liberal candidate Raj
Saini at a Sept. 1 event at the Block 3 Brewing Company.
"I have found no
evidence to suggest that the purpose of the event was anything other than to
announce the granting of funds to the company under the Rural Economic
Development program of the (Ontario) Ministry (of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs)," wrote Ontario's Integrity Commissioner Lynn Morrison in
her Dec. 22 report.
But she was critical of
provincial politicians, saying"I continue to be concerned that all MPPs
are not paying sufficient attention to their social media activities.
"Most MPPs have taken
steps to ensure that the content available directly on their websites is
non-partisan," Morrison wrote.
"However it is
disappointing to note that MPPs have been less diligent about ensuring that
content accessible through links on their constituency websites, particularly
social media, is similarly non-partisan.
"I recommend that all
MPPs with social media accounts linked to their constituency websites cease
posting partisan messages and warn that future non-compliance may result in
penalties being imposed in the future."
She dismissed Harris’s
complaint that the event was not open to the public. She said it was, but no
federal candidates were invited.
In her words, “ministry (OMAFRA)
officials were responsible for informing attendees about the event and appear
to have taken steps to minimize the risk of federal candidates campaigning at
the event by not informing the local federal candidate of the event."
Liberal candidate Saini won
election, defeating a Conservative incumbent.
