Hon David Orazietti, Minister of Natural Resources 2014-03-19
Suite 6630, 6th Floor, Whitney Block 99 Wellesley Street West Toronto, Ontario M7A 1W3
Hon Minister,
Recently an individual contacted you and publicly announced that he has fresh evidence of alleged wrongdoing of a very serious nature by employees of the Ministry of Natural Resources, offering to divulge that information at the appropriate time and place with full expectations you’d act with due diligence as necessitated by law.
These new revelations coming on the heels of previous complaints of Ministry employees having acquired public lands and issued themselves licences of operation for the purpose of operating commercial ventures. As you’re fully aware, much of this was already admitted to and suspiciously supported by the highest levels of the MNR with approval on an individual basis by the Deputy Minister themselves, thus implicating the entire Ministry in a scheme, that by all appearances, potentially contravenes several Ontario Statutes.
This individual has since been contacted by your Chief of Staff in an attempt to arrange a private meeting with the Deputy Minister regarding this information; he says he’s received two phone calls requesting a meeting with him in Sault Ste Marie, presumably at your office.
Efforts to lure that individual, a potentially future hostile witness in this case into a private meeting with those at the heart of the above allegations are most inappropriate, suspicious and can only be interpreted as an attempt to intervene in the due process, a serious offence here in Ontario.
You’ve refused to call a Judicial Enquiry even after the MNR had admitted to prior discreditable conduct and their only defence concerning the Public Lands Act wasn’t only debunked but it was brought to your attention the Public Services of Ontario Act additionally forbids civil servants from all such activities with additional parameters. Recently you told a reporter that the Lt Governor can sanction such activities but balked at further discussion on the matter when asked to substantiate that very slim possibility.
Here again, you had a legal duty to this individual and the evidence he is offering but instead you’ve allowed the very people who could be possibly affected by this persons information to again handle things; very likely overstepping their legal boundaries in the process.
This flagrant disregard for our justice system will not be tolerated any longer and the Hon Minister must deal with it in the appropriate manner or face the consequences and resign as Minister.
Sincerely,
Tom Brason
CC: Premier Wynne
Media
Opposition parties
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