TORONTO, (June 15, 2005) — The leaders of Ontario’s opposition Tory and NDP parties are demanding Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty fire transportation minister Harinder Takhar for what they say are violations to the Member’s Integrity Act.

A recently published report in the Toronto Sun revealed that Transportation Minister Takhar, who is owner of Chalmers Suspensions International, had been visiting his company for hours, speaking with employees and with the company CEO, who is also his wife. The report suggested Takhar may have been involved in workplace activities — a charge the minister denies.

The report — which was partly based on accounts by Tory staff members who secretly photographed Takhar at the Chalmers Group offices on April 29 — also stated that Takhar has a reserved, personalized parking spot marked “H.T.” in the company parking lot.

The Integrity Act requires cabinet ministers avoid conflict of interest by placing private business interests in “blind trust” at “arm’s length” from the ministers. “A member of the Executive Council shall not hold or trade in securities, stocks, futures or commodities unless they have entrusted the assets to one or more trustees who shall not consult with the member with respect to managing the trust property,” states Section 11 of the Integrity Act.

The minister claims that he was visiting his wife for lunch to discuss personal matters on the day of the visit in question, although he was at the company during the hours of 8am and 11am.

New reports published in local media today also reveal
Takhar failed to tell the province’s Integrity Commissioner that the trustee of his family-owned business, Joseph Jeyanayagam, is also an executive of his riding office.

At a conference on TTC transit passes yesterday, Takhar fled from journalists after fending off questions about possible conflict of interest. That prompted Conservative leader John Tory to refer to Takhar as the “runaway transportation minister.”

Both Tory and NDP leader Howard Hampton have repeated calls for Takhar to resign.

“It looks like the Minister has broken the rules — he should step aside and the integrity commissioner should investigate,” Tory said in a press release. “Going to the office of a company held in a blind trust is not following the spirit or the letter of integrity rules for a minister … A minister is not allowed to discuss any business whatsoever about his company.”

Hampton echoed those concerns in a separate release. “This is a most troubling affair,” said Hampton. “Harinder Takhar seems to be ignoring the rules that ban him from getting involved in the day-to-day
operations of a company that he regulates as minister.”

— with files from the Toronto Sun