André Marin, the departing Ombudsman of Ontario, can finally step down as the search for a replacement has reached a resolution after the Liberal government in the province stepped in. The government decided to take action as the selection process has been mired in bickering and partisan infighting.
Marin’s term actually ended on May 31st, but he was given an extension until September 14th as a search for his replacement was sought. As that cutoff date approached the Ontario Legislative Assembly looked to have another extension put in place but it was blocked. In response to that and the consistent inability to appoint a new Ombudsman the government stepped in.
The result was Barbara Finlay, currently the deputy ombudsman, has been brought in to an interim post while a new full time ombudsman is found.
Of course, it is ironic that this search has been dogged by petty infighting and has worsened into a mess that the government had to sort out. After-all, it is the ombudsman who is supposed to protect North Bay and all Ontarian citizens from convoluted government bureaucracy. The Ombudsman of the province is supposed to be impartial and work independently and with integrity, so does the inability to find a new chair for the post mean the Ontario Legislative Assembly is struggling to find someone who meets those criteria?
That’s unlikely, but it is certainly something some citizens will be asking as the search for a replacement for Marin continues. In his ten years as Ombudsman of Ontario, André Marin has been considered to have done a good job, pushing through reforms for provincial systems, although he has also courted controversy on occasion. He has also been outspoken against the liberal government, comparing the leading office in the province to a “banana republic”.
Marin is interested in keeping his post and has said he will put his name forward during the search, but thinks the government is committed to getting rid of him. “It does not appear they were interested in the best person for the job,” Marin told reporters.