TVO has announced it has terminated its commission of White Pine Pictures’ Kathleen Wynne documentary Power of Politics and is seeking reimbursement of its financial support of the film.

The pubcaster issued a public statement this morning announcing its exit from the documentary, citing unfulfilled obligations from Toronto-based White Pine.  

In a January interview with Playback, White Pine president Peter Raymont said that Power of Politics was intended to profile Wynne and her party as it prepared for the 2015 provincial budget and that he hoped the film would have long-term value in the educational system, as his 1978 film on then-Ontario Premier William Davis, The Art of the Possible, did. The documentary was set to be directed by Roxana Spicer and edited by Michael Hannan.

The story first broke in the Toronto Star late Thursday night. Written by the paper’s Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie, who was interviewed for the film, the story alleges that senior Wynne aides would not agree to signing errors and omissions insurance release forms without seeing the entire film first.

In its statement, TVO cited the lack of E&O insurance and clearances among the items that were not delivered, and cited Spicer’s exit as a primary reason for its termination of its agreement with White Pine.

“From the beginning, TVO insisted to White Pine Pictures that there be a journalistic treatment of this film including hiring a journalist as director,” said John Ferri, VP of Current Affairs and Documentaries, TVO, in a statement. “TVO consistently supported the director’s vision for the film. Once she left the project, we felt we had no choice but to do so as well. In addition to the fact that this project no longer has a director, several of White Pine Pictures’ other obligations were not met and therefore regrettably we are terminating the Agreement.”

Spicer, a long-time journalist and documentary filmmaker, told Playback she felt she simply could not complete the film under the conditions present.

“It became obvious to me that I had no choice but to resign from the project because I could not deliver a documentary consistent with TVO’s standards of editorial integrity and independence. That was a not a decision that I took lightly, but I had no choice,” she said.

Citing a confidentiality agreement signed with White Pine, she said she could only state that it was a project she was excited to have joined and that her exit was unprecedented in her career.

“This is the first time in my career that I’ve ever resigned from a documentary project. It’s the first time I’ve ever been involved with a film that has been pulled down by the broadcaster.”

TVO is seeking reimbursement for its financing of the project totalling $114,075.

In a comment to Playback on Friday, Raymont said he hopes the film will still make it to screen.

“I remain optimistic and hopeful that everything will be resolved and ‎the film will be widely broadcast. We were given extraordinary access and have created a terrific film,” he said.

Updated at 12:52 Friday