TORY DISGUSTED BY MCGUINTY DOUBLE STANDARD
Minister spends $12,000 on swanky hotel rooms, meals, theatre tickets and suits
(Queen’s Park) – Opposition Leader John Tory said today he is disgusted by the double standard of the McGuinty Liberals after it was revealed Minister Joe Cordiano is expensing luxurious meals and clothing to his riding association.
“This is
an astonishing double-standard by Dalton McGuinty,” said Tory. “In
Opposition, Dalton McGuinty called for the resignation of Chris Stockwell
over similar expenses that at the time he called unacceptable. Now, in
government he believes this is okay.”
Economic
Development Minister Joe Cordiano admitted today that he expensed
approximately $12,000 on European hotels, meals, new suits and theatre
tickets in London to his riding association. Ontario riding associations
are subsidized by taxpayers (donors receive a tax credit of up to 75
percent).
In June 2003, while criticizing then Minister of Energy Chris Stockwell, Dalton McGuinty said: “You cannot fob this matter over to the Integrity Commissioner. It’s about you, your judgment and your standards. At what point in time are you, as Premier, going to exercise some leadership, at least some modicum of leadership, and tell your caucus and cabinet ministers that in your government, there are some things that are right and there are some things that are wrong, and what Chris Stockwell did was wrong? When are you going to have the courage, the intestinal fortitude, the conviction to stand up and condemn this minister for what he did as wrong?”
Bob Runciman, a former Minister of Economic Development, said: “The McGuinty Liberals effectively ruined the career of a good friend of mine, Chris Stockwell, over exactly the same kind of expenditures. Now that they’re in government it’s okay! This is shabby, shameful and hypocritical conduct.”
