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Ontario Ombudsman blasts Bill Blair on Twitter

Maybe it was the pneumonia medicine. Ontario Ombudsman André Marin has been under the weather lately. But apparently feeling in fighting trim enough to take on retiring Toronto police chief Bill Blair on Twitter. 

Marin, better known for tweets about his German shepherd dogs and whatever else his office may be up to in its fight against corruption, let loose with a barrage on the heels of an appearance by the outgoing chief with Liberal leader Justin Trudeau in Ottawa Monday. Blair, who officially left the force Friday, has announced he will be running for the federal Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest. 

Blair’s appearance with Trudeau in Ottawa Monday was meant as a photo op to not-so-officially announce Blair as the candidate in Scarborough (he will still have to fight for a nomination). But questions about Blair’s handling of the G20 came up, as they would given that he is also seen as a candidate to boost the Libs’ law and order profile. Most of those questions, not surprisingly, were dismissed by Blair and the Liberal leader.

And that’s when Marin went to town. It was an attack more surprising for its ferocity than anything else. That’s because Marin is supposed to be an independent officer of the Legislature. But he has never been known as someone to refrain from speaking his mind. Marin didn’t leave much to the imagination in his office’s report on Blair’s handling of the G20. He called the G20 “the most massive compromise of civil liberties in Canadian history.” And said he received “zero” cooperation from Toronto police in his investigation.

Do you think Marin went too far? Let us know in the comments.

enzom@nowtoronto.com | @enzodimatteo

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