That’s what I keep being asked about the Dean French meltdown and the government appointing a 26 year-old lacrosse buddy to a prominent and well-paying position.
It’s a very good question.
This type of political mistake should not have been a career ender for French but on Friday he handed in his resignation after messing up a patronage appointment. Every party appoints their own people to positions, that is as it should be but this was still a mistake.
Whichever party is in power needs to know that the people in political positions, as opposed to the professional public service, will be onside with the government’s priorities. Yet the catch is, the people appointed still need to be, or appear to be, qualified.
Giving a plum post with a fat paycheque to a young man with a thin resume did not sit well with Premier Doug Ford’s supporters and he heard about it. It was also simply the latest in a string of missteps by French that were taking away from the government’s attempts to move its agenda forward.
So how did it happen?
How did lacrosse buddy Tyler Albrecht and Taylor Sheilds, a cousin of French’s wife, get appointed?
Isn’t there a process? Isn’t there a person in charge of appointments? Didn’t cabinet have to sign off on all these appointments?
The answer to all of these questions is yes, in theory.
[…]
See Also:
(1) Ford needs step back and put spotlight on cabinet
(2) Drama continues for French and his replacement
(3) How to save Doug Ford’s government
(4) Doug Ford does the low-poll (cabinet) shuffle
