By Arthur Weinreb
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
If Dalton McGuinty was a true leader, he would get rid of OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino as soon as possible. Unfortunately he isn't and Fantino won't go anywhere until he is ready to move on as he always has done in the past. Dalton only acts in the best interests of Dalton and getting rid of the province's top cop that he appointed only nine months ago is not a move that McGuinty would ever consider. McGuinty tends to avoid ever admitting a mistake that might reflect badly on his premiership. He's ignored calls for inquiries into Lottogate and investigations into the so-called Liberal slush fund because these inquiries would reflect badly upon his government. On the other hand, he had no hesitation in setting up an inquiry into the work of former pediatric pathologist Dr. Charles Smith because any miscarriage of justice that resulted from Smith's actions cannot be blamed on McGuinty or his government. So there is no way Fantino will ever be shown the door.
Julian Fantino looked good on paper. He was a popular Toronto police chief when the city's mayor, David Miller, and his left wing enablers decided not to renew his contract. The common wisdom was that they didn't like his "tough cop" image for our feminized city but perhaps they saw something that the rest of us missed.
When Commissioner Fantino felt that a Caledonia councillor was sympathetic to described outside agitator Gary McHale, Fantino sent an email to the town's mayor, Marie Trainer. In the email that Trainer found "threatening", Fantino promised to recommend that the contract to police the town not be renewed when it ends next year (a move that would probably be applauded by the non-occupying residents of Caledonia). He further indicated that he would forward the cost of policing to Haldimand County and he would hold the council responsible for any injuries to one of his officers.
The latest aboriginal protest situation ended with a similar statement from Fantino. After natives blocked the main Toronto-Montreal CN line, the police failed to clear the line despite a court-ordered injunction obtained by CN. Fantino then turned his short fuse on the federal government. He blamed the feds for putting all this pressure on his officers. The Commissioner told a meeting of the Radio-Television News Director Association that "Enough is enough; we're not going to take it any more", whatever that is supposed to mean. Fantino thinks that if the federal government moved more quickly, these incidents would be avoided.
As a factual matter, Fantino is probably right. If the federal government (and the province of Ontario for that matter) had a greater resolve to work out land disputes with aboriginal groups, these blockades and occupations would be lessened if not completely eliminated. But as the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, it's none of his business how the government decides to act. We do not live in a police state, at least not yet, where the police dictate what the government should and shouldn't do. But we are leaning in that direction, not so much as a result of Fantino's rants but because the government has no political will to keep him in check. Fantino can apparently call all the shots, determine who should do what, and dictate to local councils and others while Dalton McGuinty does nothing; perhaps because he's too busy flicking himself.
Anyone who thinks about it knows that we have two-tiered justice in Ontario. All you have to do is think of a group, any group, from the Hells Angels to students upset with tuition costs and ask yourself if they would be allowed to get away with occupying private land or blocking railway lines. Of course not.
We can't let Canada or any part of it turn into a police state by a bully boy cop who thinks that he should be running the show.
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