So Now the OPP is Investigating the Conservatives for Liberal Malfeasance?
Here in Cambridge, our MPP Rob Leone, along with Nipissing MPP Vic Fideli, has requested the OPP investigate the Ontario Liberals for the illegal destroying of emails. 
Our local paper, a TorStar/Metroland publication, framed the story this way:
Cambridge MPP Rob Leone is at the centre of an OPP investigation into the deletion of electronic records pertaining to the cancellation of gas power plants in Mississauga and Oakville, by Ontario’s Liberals.
Wednesday afternoon, the Tory MPP met with three police officers at Queen’s Park to discuss the investigation.
That’s right, Leone is “at the centre” of the investigation, and had to meet with the OPP to “discuss the investigation.” Stop reading right there – as newspapers know most people do – and ask yourself, who’s under investigation?
Continuing:
In a report released earlier this month entitled Deleting Accountability: Record Management Practices of Political Staff – A Special Investigation Report, Information and Privacy Commissioner Dr. Ann Cavoukian confirmed senior advisors in former premier Dalton McGuinty’s office, as well as other ministers’ offices, destroyed and/or took sole copies of official government documents covered under the Archives and Recordkeeping Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Yes, paragraph 4 and finally Progressive Conservative MPP Rob Leone is shown to be requesting an investigation, not “at the centre,” of one.
Interestingly, in the version of the article that made it into print and landed on my doorstep this morning, there is only one paragraph after the one in which Leone is shown to be requesting an investigation. It says, simply (lamely), “they want to know if anything criminal transpired.” Nothing about a committee involved in a formal investigation, nothing about taxpayers property, nothing about sections of the criminal code. Just Leone and Fideli “wanting to know.”
Our local paper has a new editor, Richard Vivian, who is a mere three months into the job. Jeff Hurst, the previous editor, would have never let this article publish as is. One hopes it’s a mistake, not a signal of the way our local paper is going to be slanting the news.
Gerry Martiniuk is the Progressive Conservative critic for labour and seniors. It’s entirely appropriate because, like the union stewards at work, you only ever see him, or hear from him at election time.
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