AG Report a Damning Indictment of Liberal Record
QUEEN’S PARK – The 2015 Annual Report by Ontario’s Auditor General is a devastating indictment of 12 years of Liberal waste and mismanagement, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown said today.
The Auditor General’s report highlighted that Ontario’s growing debt burden continues to take money away from the funding of key government programs, such as desperately needed health and social services.
“The Auditor General’s report confirms what the Progressive Conservative Caucus has been saying all along – the Wynne Liberals have no real plan to either balance the budget or reduce the province’s growing debt burden,” stated Leader Patrick Brown. “The Auditor General highlights that by 2018, the net debt owed by every Ontario resident will be approximately $23,000 per person.”
The Auditor General’s line-by-line review also highlighted that taxpayers continue to bear the brunt of the Liberal government’s inability to manage essential public services efficiently, or even appropriately.
One example included in the report is that the Ministry of Energy took over responsibility for electricity planning in the province, unnecessarily costing ratepayers billions of dollars.
“Since 2004, the Ministry has issued two policy plans and 93 ministerial directives, often going against the advice of experts and ignoring the best interests of the electricity system and ratepayers for its own short-term political gain,” Brown added.
The report also revealed that Ontario’s economic development funds provided 80% of its funding to handpicked companies, which in numerous instances did not provide proof as to why this taxpayer money was necessary. Some companies had even signed off on projects before being picked for funding.
“The Auditor General’s report shows that the complete lack of targets, evaluation, and oversight by the Liberal Government continues to hurt job creation in the province,” concluded Leader Patrick Brown.