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Now we need an aggressive oneIf Paul Dubé's name doesn’t sound familiar, don’t blame yourself You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Paul Dubé, Ontario's recently retired Ombudsman. (File photo) ALLDid you hear that Paul Dubé has retired?Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIf the name doesn’t sound familiar, don’t blame yourself. Dubé spent a decade as Ontario’s ombudsman, but he was a fellow so low-profile as to be nearly invisible, despite earning a salary of more than $400,000, with an office budget larger than that of the province’s auditor general.Now the province is searching for a replacement. Surely, it can do better.The ombudsman’s job is a big and important one, sticking up for ordinary Ontarians who are having problems with the government and broader public sector. It involves dealing with individual complaints, but more importantly, digging into systemic issues where government is falling short. The job calls for a crusader with top investigative skills and knowledge of how to attract the public and media attention that can force government to do better.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againJudged by those standards, Dubé fell well short of the mark. One really had to be an avid Queen’s Park watcher to know who Dubé was.Over a decade, Dubé and his staff produced just 22 standalone reports, only a few of which could be considered a substantial look at systemic issues. Among the subjects he tackled were the Township of Red Rock’s handling of a trespassing issue, the city of Brampton’s procurement practices, the meeting practices of the Elliot Lake Residential Development Commission, and bylaw enforcement in St. Clair Township and Lambton County.Some of his work was on more important topics, including reports on adults with developmental disabilities and oversight of government long-term care homes during the pandemic.The lack of output is surprising because when Dubé took the job in 2016, the ombudsman’s scope was expanded to include complaints about municipalities, universities, school boards and hospitals. Given that and a staff expansion from 86 to 186, one would have expected more.Dubé is said to favour quiet resolution of problems rather than making a fuss. That’s one way to do the job, but it makes life a little too easy for those who are supposed to be held accountable.Dubé certainly thinks he did a good job. He concluded his work with a report modestly entitled A Decade of Promoting Fairness: Expanding Access, Impact and Value. The 37-page report contains 33 pictures of Dubé and a generous helping of self-congratulation.Someone must have agreed with his self-assessment. Dubé was paid $239,934 in 2017, but by 2025 that had risen to $414,858.To put Dubé’s achievements in context, his predecessor André Marin also served 10 years. In that time, Marin conducted 25 systemic investigations on subjects as diverse as Hydro One billing problems, newborn health screening, lottery ticket fraud and monitoring of unlicensed daycares. The latter produced 113 recommendations that were accepted by the provincial government. Marin was also the driving force behind expanding the ombudsman’s scope to cover much of the broader public sector.Marin was brash and sometimes abrasive but he knew how to get the public’s attention and make government react. That’s the essence of being an effective ombudsman. As a journalist, I covered Marin’s career. At a different point in my career, as a consultant, I even helped write one of his reports. The man had true passion for the work.Unfortunately, Marin’s tenure ended in a predictable way. He had done such a good job of critiquing the government of then premier Dalton McGuinty that the Liberals blocked his reappointment.Ultimately, Dubé was hired and given a second term by Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government. Why not? If you are the party in power, there is nothing better than a sleepy watchdog.Now, it is up to a panel of MPPs to pick the next ombudsman. The selection process is under way. The panel consists of a backbencher from each of the three main parties with the speaker of the legislature as a non-voting member. The panel must make a unanimous choice. Under new legislation governing the position, the legislature must approve that choice.As they consider their options, the panel members should remember that they are picking a person who will be paid at least $2 million over a five-year term and have a $33-million annual budget at their disposal. High expectations are a must.The panel shouldn’t repeat the mistake that was made when Jeffrey Novak was chosen as Ontario’s financial accountability officer in 2023, replacing the dynamic Peter Weltman. Like Dubé, Novak has pretty much zero public profile and his reports, while solid, are long on numbers and short on narrative. He lacks Weltman’s knack for getting a point across. At least his department is a relative bargain at $4.6 million a year.Of the three main public accountability officers of the legislature, only Auditor General Shelley Spence is pulling her weight. At a time when political opposition to Ford’s government is weak, Ontarians need hard-nosed, fact-based critics more than ever.National Postrandalldenley1@gmail.com Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.