Secret report exposes rampant bullying at key Ontario ministry
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

Ontario’s Liberal government has kept secret an explosive report that paints some of its most senior bureaucrats — male and female — as bullies who have harassed and discriminated against hundreds of provincial lawyers and administrative assistants for years.The workplace for 600 government lawyers and several hundred administrative staff at the Ministry of the Attorney General is described as a “toxic� cesspool where fear and retribution rule the day, ironically at an Ontario agency branded with the logo “Better Justice Together.�One high-ranking government boss is described by a complainant in the report as “a classic bully drunk on her own power.� Crown lawyers working under another executive said he created “an extremely unhealthy and intolerable environment.� “Many employees work in an atmosphere of constant fear of retribution and a culture of silence prevails,� said report author Leslie Macleod, a lawyer and former senior Ontario bureaucrat. The report was concluded in the summer of 2017.In addition to harassment allegations, the report notes that government lawyers are sometimes forced by senior managers to change their opinions on whether or not to lay charges against individuals or companies — apparently to satisfy the special interests of other provincial ministries. Code names are used in the report, called “Turning the Ship Around,� to describe offending senior bureaucrats. Who they are, the province would not tell the Star.Shortly after the Star published its story Attorney General Yasir Naqvi issued a statement saying, “Everyone has a right to feel safe and respected in their workplace. Harassment of any kind is completely unacceptable. That’s why the ministry decided to bring in an independent consultant to provide recommendations on how to improve the workplace culture.�He said he expects “ministry officials will continue to ta ...