What the ethics watchdog can tell us about the SDF drama

PM's poker face (or not)

⛄PROGRAMMING NOTE: This is the last day of regular newsletters before the winter holidays. I’ll pop back in if there’s earth-shattering news, like, say, an RCMP investigation or a Cabinet shuffle (plus a holiday treat next week) — but for now, I’m taking some time off to recharge. Thank you for reading, sharing and spilling tea this year. I'll be back at it Monday, January 5. Here’s hoping the Ford government gifts us a relatively quiet holiday.

ABOVE THE FOLD

In a major end-of-year move, Integrity Commissioner CATHRYN MOTHERWELL has taken up NDP and Liberal requests for an investigation into Labour Minister DAVID PICCINI and his handling of the Skills Development Fund, which has seen a steady stream of bad-news headlines since Auditor General SHELLEY SPENCE took a first crack at it in the fall.

Specifically, Oppo MPPs want the commish to look into whether Piccini broke the Members’ Integrity Act in selecting the SDF recipients, such as those with low scores or that hired PC-connected …