June 22nd, 2021
June 22nd, 2021
QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Ethics and Accountability critic Taras Natyshak said Rod Phillips has obviously been welcomed back into Premier Doug Ford’s inner circle with open arms, since Phillips is not only back in cabinet and tapped to write Ford’s election platform, he’s also headlining a $1,600-a-password Ford fundraiser on Thursday.
“Doug Ford and Rod Philips are back to their old ways, less than a week after Phillips returned to cabinet. He hasn’t even had time to read his new briefing books and he’s already shilling for the PCs for $1,600 a ticket to a Zoom event with the boss,” said Natyshak.
“We wonder if for-profit long-term care CEOs will attend this fundraiser. And if Phillips will be logging onto Zoom from Ontario, or some tropical locale.”
Phillips was removed from cabinet in December after breaking lockdown rules to jet off to luxurious St. Barts for Christmas vacation and staging an elaborate cover-up including pre-recorded holidays greetings and bogus Zoom backgrounds to hide his location. Less than six months later, Ford brought him right back into his inner circle — sending the message that there’s one set of rules for Ontario, and another for Ford’s friends and insiders.