ORNGE Scandal 2.0: Ornge Back in Business with AgustaWestland
QUEEN’S PARK – On the four year anniversary of the Auditor General’s special report into Ornge, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown asked the Premier why her Liberal Government was allowing Ornge to get back into business with AgustaWestland.
Ornge paid AgustaWestland $148-million USD for 12 helicopters when they only needed 9 helicopters. AgustaWestland then returned $2.9-million USD into Ornge’s ‘charitable foundation’ and another $4.8-million USD for ‘future marketing’. These deals are still under investigation by the OPP.
“The name on the Premier’s door may have changed but what goes on behind it, sadly remains the same,” said Brown. “There is only one word to describe Ornge’s new deal with AgustaWestland – and that’s shady.”
On March 7th, Ornge issued a notice of its intention to negotiate the lease of an AW139 helicopter from Finmeccanica – the parent company of AgustaWestland. There is no public tender; the justification given by Ornge is that this deal will be sole sourced because this company “is the only source for delivery by June 30th.”
In February of last year, Ornge said it was looking to sell the helicopters they bought from AgustaWestland, with Ornge CEO Andrew McCallum stating they were too expensive to maintain. Now Ornge is looking to lease the very same helicopter that the CEO described as too expensive.
“Why is the Premier allowing Ornge to lease a helicopter from AgustaWestland – the very same company involved in the original Ornge scandal currently being investigated by the OPP?” concluded Brown.
Following Leader Patrick Brown’s questioning of the Premier in the Legislature, he sent a letter to OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes updating him on the new details related to the ongoing OPP investigation, while asking for an update on the four year investigation.