Liberal candidate Mitzie Hunter, a former education minister, accused the PC government of a patronage scheme involving 16 candidates who lost in the 2018 election.

Of the 41 failed candidates, 16 were given government jobs or appointments, according to a breakdown provided by the party.

Seven other candidates weren't included in the Liberal analysis because they either passed away or were elected to other offices at the municipal or federal level.

Six of the 16 candidates got jobs in a ministerial or MPP office, while the other 10 got positions at various government agencies, expert panels, boards or committees.

Hunter was not able to definitively answer how many failed Liberal candidates were given government jobs after the 2014 election.

"I believe that there were maybe two at the very most," she said.

Hunter was asked if a Liberal government would bring forward any rules banning the practice.

"We would definitely have strong governance and transparency when it came to selecting individuals for roles and it's not just all about rewarding friends and family," she said.

The PC's hit back at the Liberals Sunday morning. They pointed to a 2019 analysis from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation showing that, since 2009, three failed Liberal byelection candidates got government jobs.

"Since 2009 there have been nine failed Liberal byelection candidates, and three of them have received appointments to (agencies, boards, and commissions)," it said.

Of the 16 PC appointments, six happened after Ford's former chief of staff Dean French was fired. French was forced out of the premier's office in 2019 following a patronage scandal involving his wife's second cousin and his sons' friend from lacrosse.

READ MORE: Dean French out of premier’s office, leaves for private sector

It wasn't the first time French was dinged for patronage. He became a central figure in the Ron Taverner appointment controversy when documents emerged that showed he shepherded the process to select the next Ontario Provincial Police commissioner.

In March 2020, QP Briefing also reported on justice of the peace appointees with ties to the PC's.

READ MORE: Recent appointments risk politicizing the court, tiling balance to the right, critics say

In June 2021, the Ford government came under fire for another round of judicial appointments where some recipients were past PC donors.

READ MORE: Flurry of justice of the peace appointments raise renewed concerns about politicizing the court

Liberals accuse Ford of patronage appointments

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