The MPP for Mississauga-Erindale, a former cabinet minister, touted his business credentials as owner of the custom packaging plant during a recent all-candidates’ debate as part of his bid to replace retiring Premier Dalton McGuinty at next weekend’s convention.
The plant, CSI Sertapak Inc., has been cited by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour with dozens of orders and offence notices, according to internal ministry records requested by the Star. A spokesperson for Takhar says conditions have since improved.
Some of the ministry edicts were “stop-work” orders prompted by lax conditions such as a lack of respirators for workers when using torches to cut painted metal, exposing them to hazardous fumes, faulty machine guards that could cause injury, and poorly maintained ladders that create a falling hazard.
A stop-work order is issued when an inspector finds “an immediate danger or hazard to the health or safety of a worker,” according the ministry’s website. The order is withdrawn when the problem is fixed.
Takhar, a certified management accountant who portrays himself as a business turnaround specialist, spoke of the plant owned by his Chalmers Group of Companies at a Dec. 1 Liberal debate in Ingersoll focusing on rural and small-town issues, such as job creation.
“My family bought a factory in Woodstock,” he told an auditorium jammed with party supporters in the small town a short drive from Woodstock.
The 25-year-old plant’s working conditions are now much better after a steady replacement of managers there, the Takhar campaign says.
A statement from the campaign noted Sertapak has been in a blind trust — as is done with the businesses of all cabinet ministers to avoid conflicts of interest — since its purchase out of bankruptcy by the Chalmers Group in 2009, saving many jobs. That means Takhar has no role in its day-to-day operations.
Chalmers Group gradually replaced senior management after they “failed to meet the objectives” to improve operations, culminating with a new plant manager last year, said Takhar spokeswoman Jenna Mannone.
“Since the new plant manager was installed the company has improved operations and complied with all MOL (Ministry of Labour) work orders, and there is no outstanding work order, as noted on the last field visit report by an MOL inspector, dated January 15, 2013,” the statement added.
“Harinder believes that no Ontario company, irrespective of ownership, is above the law. Every company should always strive to improve working conditions. There is always room for improvement.”
Takhar is one of six candidates seeking McGuinty’s job, leading a minority Liberal government.
Heading into the leadership convention at Maple Leaf Gardens, Takhar is in fourth place in the delegate count with 13 per cent support behind former cabinet colleagues Sandra Pupatello, Kathleen Wynne and Gerard Kennedy. Trailing Takhar are Charles Sousa and Eric Hoskins.
At the convention, there will be jockeying for senior cabinet posts in a new administration as lower-ranked candidates like Takhar consider throwing support to the front-runners.
At Sertapak, Labour Ministry inspectors found problems last March 5, issuing 53 orders and two offence notices — which are essentially tickets with a $360 fine to be paid — for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act and industrial regulations.
At March 16 follow-up visit, inspectors found the factory in compliance with the orders that followed Ontario’s 2009 “Safe at Work” strategy, implemented in the wake of several serious industrial accidents.
A February 2010 inspection at Sertapak in response to an anonymous complaint resulted in orders to instruct workers on emergency evacuation procedures, prevent materials from falling on workers and stop forklifts from driving with their loads elevated, among other concerns.
Takhar was McGuinty’s minister of Government Services until he resigned in late October to seek the party leadership, and is no stranger to controversy.
He was reprimanded for an ethics violation in 2006, when the province’s integrity commissioner censured him for “negligent” behaviour in breaking the Members’ Integrity Act, blurring the lines between politics and the family business.
Takhar had failed to keep an arm’s length relationship with Chalmers Group because he employed a man as the trustee overseeing the company who also served as president of the minister’s Liberal riding association.
He has also come under fire for waiting until the end of the leadership nomination period in late October to resign from cabinet and declare his candidacy for premier, raising questions about any use of ministerial resources such as his car and driver during the campaign.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Rob Ferguson
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