Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake on Friday cleared Community Safety and Corrections Minister David Orazietti of any wrongdoing after he was accused of appointing Liberal-friendly people and those from his own riding to boards and agencies when he was the minister of government and consumer services.

PC MPP Jim McDonell filed the complaint in April after his office was accidentally sent a ministry briefing note from Orazietti's office that included five names of possible appointees to certain government boards and agencies including the Real Estate Council of Ontario, the Ontario Film Authority, Tarion, and the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. The five people were constituents of Sault Ste. Marie, Orazietti's riding, and one was a former Liberal candidate.

McDonell's complaint alleged Orazietti was in a direct conflict of interest, but Wake disagreed, as the briefing note incorrectly indicated those people had actually been appointed.

"I find that the Briefing Note was based on incorrect information," Wake writes in the report. "I found no evidence that the Minister, in exercising his powers to appoint, advanced his private interest or improperly furthered the interests of any other person."

Wake added only three of the five purported candidates were appointed by Orazietti.

"With respect to the remaining two individuals, one of them was not appointed as they chose to withdraw. The other individual was not selected by the Minister, but it appears that there was a misunderstanding within the Ministry as to the Minister’s intention about this application. Accordingly, it is my opinion that the Minister did not breach the [Members' Integrity] Act," he wrote.

During the investigation Orazietti had raised concerns about McDonell and his staff's conduct, but Wake did not pursue the concern in this particular case.

"The Minister indicated that while the Ministry made repeated attempts to contact Mr. McDonell’s Legislative Assistant by phone and email following the inadvertent disclosure of the Briefing Note, no response was provided. Furthermore, the Minister was concerned that Mr. McDonell did not consider the privacy interests of the five individuals mentioned in the Briefing Note. While the Minister raises some legitimate concerns about the privacy interests of the five individuals, it would be inappropriate, in terms of process, for me to comment further on the conduct of Mr. McDonell, as the focus of this inquiry is on the conduct of the Minister."

In April, the Progressive Conservatives had called for Orazietti to step down.

"The Minister’s conduct is contrary to the public interest and the protection of Ontario’s consumers – he must be held to account” McDonell said in the house at the time.

Seen: Orazietti cleared of wrongdoing over board appointments

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