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Ontario Premier Doug Ford addresses media in May. The Premier’s office says it has frozen hiring and cut 10 positions to save costs.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office is undergoing a hiring freeze and its top staffer says it has eliminated 10 positions for an annual savings of more than a million dollars, according to an internal memo obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The memo was sent to all Premier’s office staff and government chiefs of staff Thursday from Mr. Ford’s chief of staff, Travis Kann, who took over the top post in March.
The government has been under scrutiny over accusations of entitlement, when it was revealed this week that Toronto-area Progressive Conservative MPPs billed tens of thousands for hotel stays in recent years. In response, the government said it was moving to change the rules to prevent such expenses from being approved, and that expenses that did not meet the “intent of the rules” will be paid back.
The Premier’s Office has also faced criticisms from the opposition for a jump in staff and salaries in recent years, with the number of staff members earning more than $100,000 more than doubling since Mr. Ford took office in 2018.
The memo says the government “takes very seriously our responsibility to treat taxpayers with respect,” and that it has “prudently managed the size of the Ontario Public Service.” The government has also instituted a hiring freeze in the public service on non-essential positions and required employees to return to the office five days a week, a decision that has faced opposition from unions who argue flexibility improves productivity.
According to the memo, the Premier’s office headcount has been reduced by 10 with annual savings totalling $1,074,500, Mr. Kann wrote.
Mr. Kann said the government has also looked to improve productivity and lower the cost of operations “without compromising our ability to advance the premier’s ambitious agenda.”
“This has included re-locating personnel within our office or across government to more productive areas, as well as saying goodbye to colleagues. I want to thank them for their contributions to our government and province,” he said.
“To maintain this rigour and discipline, I will be putting in place a hiring freeze for Premier’s Office.”
He said new hires will require approval by the chief of staff or deputy chief of staff for human resource administration after a review by the human resources committee. Promotions and pay increases will continue to be considered “based on merit and contribution,” he said
Mr. Kann added that he will be working with certain ministries “to encourage comparable savings” and that chiefs are encouraged “to put their hand up if they believe they can achieve savings.”