Integrity commissioner won't probe Lisa MacLeod's warning to behaviour analysts over autism program

Ontario's integrity commissioner says there are insufficient grounds to conduct an inquiry into the social services minister warning a group of behaviour analysts of consequences if they didn't support her new autism program.

J. David Wake says even if the allegation is true, the comments don't violate the Members' Integrity Act that prohibits usingMacLeod's office to influence someone in order to further herprivate interest.

MacLeod ultimately announced changes to the program after backlash from parents and therapists, who said the plan gave families insufficient levels of funding and didn't take individual needs into account.

The complaint to the integrity commissioner came from Michael Coteau, who was the Liberal minister in charge of the autism filewhen that government unveiled a revamped program in response to protests in 2016 from families.