FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6th 2017

(PERTH) Randy Hillier, (Lanark Frontenac Lennox & Addington) expressed his dismay and concern over the Auditor General’s Annual Report condemning the Wynne Government’s maladministration of the province’s finances and casual disregard of their obligations.

“I have significant concern that the Auditor General may have exposed herself to a workplace harassment complaint with this report,” remarked Hillier. “According to some, the Occupational Health and Safety Act defines harassment as ‘a course of conduct and comment that was known or ought to have reasonably been known to have been unwelcome’; I am confident this report is unwelcome.”

Hillier goes on to point out that contrary to a letter he received from Tay Valley Township which incorrectly defines harassment as simply ‘unwelcomed comment or conduct’,  the OHSA specifically refers to “vexatious comment or conduct”, with the definition of vexatious being defined in the context of harassment as ‘unsupported’ or ‘lacking sufficient grounds’. Despite the misquote of the Act in their letter to Hillier, the Township later issued a press release with the correct definition. “I guess the Auditor General is off the hook,” joked Hillier, “Despite being unwelcome, her report is not vexatious as it clearly delineates the deficiencies of this Premier and her Cabinet, as it was her responsibility to do.”

Hillier noted that it is the obligation of public officials such as the Auditor General and elected representatives to stand up for the public interest, even when doing so may be unwelcome.

Among the concerns, the AG pointed out that 41% of PET scan time goes unused by patients because the Ministry of Health simply hasn’t updated the guidelines on the use of PET scans. Despite having closed numerous rural schools this year and next, the AG determined that there hasn’t been a review of the School Board Funding Formula since the Liberals took power in 2003. Taxpayers own 812 pieces of unused, surplus property that cost $19 million a year to maintain and that the government has been unwilling to sell. Business electricity customers paid 12.3 billion in Global Adjustment fees, of which almost 30% of it went to renewable energy producers, despite the fact that they only produced 6% of our electricity. This list goes on.

“What we see here is a blatant disregard for the public purse and the well-being of the people of Ontario; instead we have a government that puts their patrons ahead of patients, their friends ahead of Ontario families, and power ahead of responsibility and accountability,” Hillier concluded.

The full report can be found here

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Contact:
Perth 613-267-8239
Queen’s Park 416-325-2244
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