If former Integrity Commissioner – who was a lapdog with a very weak enforcement record – was aware of advisor’s involvement with mining company and still approved the job switch, that was very negligent

Integrity Commissioner should also investigate Cabinet minister to determine if he violated ethics law by participating in discussions re: mining company

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 15, 2026

TORONTO – Democracy Watch released the letter it has sent to Ontario Integrity Commissioner Cathryn Motherwell calling on her to investigate and rule on whether a former Minister of Mines advisor violated the provincial public servants ethics law when he left a senior position in the minister’s office in December 2024 and started working right away for Kinross Gold Corporation, as revealed in yesterday’s Toronto Star article.

Democracy Watch’s letter also calls on Commissioner Motherwell to investigate the minister involved to determine if he has violated the ethics law for provincial politicians by participating in any discussions concerning Kinross Gold since his senior advisor went to work for Kinross.

As Democracy Watch’s letter details, its opinion, based on the evidence revealed by the Star, and the provisions of the ethics law, is that former Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake should not have approved Kevin Rombout, former Deputy Director of Policy for then-Minister of Mines George Pirie, moving from the government to work for Kinross, given he was involved in the Ontario government’s review of Kinross’ Great Bear gold mine project.

Democracy Watch’s letter calls on Commissioner Motherwell to reverse the approval, and also to call for the Commissioner to be empowered to impose penalties on public servants who leave their government jobs but have violated their ethics law, as currently the only possible penalty is suspension or dismissal from their government job (which is a meaningless penalty given they have already left their job).

The Public Service of Ontario Act (PSOA) and O.Reg. 382/07 under that law, prohibit minister’s staff from: giving preferential treatment to anyone or any entity (section 6 of the PSOA); working on any proceeding, transaction or negotiation in government and then going to work for the private entity involved in the matter (section 20 of the reg.); using confidential government information in any business or undertaking after they leave their government position (section 17 of the reg.), and; going to work for any person or entity for one year after they leave their government position if they have had access to any confidential information that would give an unfair advantage to the outside entity (section 19 of the reg.).

Ontario’s Members’ Integrity Act (MIA) prohibits provincial politicians from, among other things, participating in discussions when they have an opportunity to “improperly” further the interests of any person or entity (sections 2 and 4 and 8).  Given George Pirie is now Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, it is reasonable to assume that he would have continued, after Mr. Rombout left his office to go to work for Kinross, to be involved in meetings concerning the Ontario government’s review of Kinross’ Great Bear gold mine project.

As a result, Democracy Watch’s letter calls on Commissioner Motherwell to investigate and issue a public ruling on whether Minister Pirie has violated the MIA by participating in any discussions concerning Kinross since Mr. Rombout started working for Kinross.

“It’s possible that Mr. Rombout may have misled former Integrity Commissioner Wake about the extent of his involvement with decisions that affected Kinross when he was an adviser to the minister of mines, but if the commissioner knew about the extent of Rombout’s involvement and still approved him going to work for Kinross, that was a negligently bad decision that completely ignored Ontario’s government ethics law,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch.  “Integrity Commissioner Motherwell should reverse the decision, and also investigate and rule on whether the minister has also violated the ethics law by participating in discussions about mining company since his former advisor left to go to work for company.”

Commissioner Wake has a very weak enforcement record during his term in office from February 2016 to February 2025, letting off many clear violations, including:

1. He approved of the fundraising events partially organized by businesses involved in the privatization of Hydro One and attended by Ontario Liberal Cabinet ministers Bob Chiarelli and Charles Sousa, who were responsible for the privatization process;

2. He let off Premier Ford even though he participated in the decision to appoint his old friend Ron Taverner as OPP Commissioner, and as an executive at the Ontario Cannabis Store;

3. He also let off members of Ford’s staff even though he had clear evidence they gave Taverner preferential treatment in violation of the rules;

4. He let off Ford even though he appointed his campaign adviser and staffperson Jenni Byrne to the Ontario Energy Board, and appointed his family lawyer to chair the Public Accountants Council, and;

5. He let off dozens of lobbyists for clear violations of Ontario’s lobbying law, thereby encouraging a culture of corruption that at least partially caused the Greenbelt scandal and the Skills Development Fund scandal, among other Ford government scandals.

“Unfortunately, Ontario’s former Integrity Commissioner rolled over like a lapdog many times and approved of clearly unethical activities by the Premier, Cabinet ministers, government officials and lobbyists instead of strongly enforcing Ontario’s key political ethics and democratic good government laws,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. “Hopefully current Integrity Commissioner Motherwell will start, finally, to enforce these key democracy laws properly, strongly and strictly.”

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: [email protected]

Democracy Watch’s Government Ethics Campaign and Stop Secret, Unethical Lobbying Campaign