A former deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police will speak publicly today for the first time since he was fired by the province.
Brad Blair is holding a news conference in which he's expected to outline the next steps in his legal fight with the Progressive Conservative government.
The veteran officer was fired in March after a high-ranking public servant alleged Blair had contravened his ``legal and ethical responsibilities.''
Blair had asked the courts to force the provincial ombudsman to investigate government attempts to hire a longtime friend of Premier Doug Ford as OPP commissioner.
He has also launched a defamation suit against Ford himself, alleging the premier damaged Blair's reputation when he accused him of breaking the Police Services Act.
Blair's lawyers say he will also speak about his efforts to ``safeguard the independence and credibility'' of the provincial police service.