Brown: Liberal Incompetence Hurts Province’s Most Vulnerable

QUEEN’S PARK – Today in Question Period, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown highlighted examples from the Auditor General’s scathing report to demonstrate how the Liberal Government’s incompetence has affected Ontario’s most vulnerable.

For example, the government insisted on implementing the SAMS computer system despite knowing that it was faulty and full of glitches. This resulted in social assistance and disability benefit recipients being both over and under paid.

The Auditor General highlighted a story of an individual with mental disabilities who was overpaid.

“The individual didn’t realize the benefit was too high. So the person spent the money with no means to repay it,” said Brown “The Liberal government’s response was to use debt collectors and freeze the poor individual’s bank account. You left them without a cent to simply live their day-to-day life.”

The report also revealed gaps in Children Aid Societies’ background checks, which is potentially leaving children in dangerous, at-risk homes. Of the child protection investigations the Auditor General examined, not one was conducted within the required 30 day time period or was found to have met the requirements.

“The AG said it took an average of more than seven months to complete an investigation. For seven months these children suffered and for seven months these children were at risk,” added Brown.

“Why does this government’s incompetence continue to hurt our most vulnerable?”

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDVyhBzQvo0