Grants scandal
April 30, 2007
Scandal and
slush funds were the words on everybody’s lips last week at Queen’s
Park, and the McGuinty Liberals were on the defensive trying to justify
millions of dollars in year-end handouts to groups under the broad heading
of newcomer integration.
At first glance this doesn’t seem so bad. Our government should be helping newcomers to Canada and provide support to Ontario’s numerous multi-cultural communities.
The
problem is, all this money, over $30 million worth over two years, was
handed out without any kind of application process, without any
accountability or auditing measures.
While many of the groups that received this money do good work,
there were a number of groups who received this money under very
questionable circumstances.
This is an issue of fairness. This is about the McGuinty Liberals giving out money without any kind of process. It’s about some groups having an inside track to a government slush fund while hundreds of other groups that do good work and play by the rules have no access.
What the NDP has been asking this week at Question Period is how these organizations got their money, and one of the likely conclusions is that there are organizations that have some kind of connection to the Liberal party. For example, a Bangladeshi organization with a long track record of providing community supports was not even informed about funding while another organization with no track record received a substantial grant last March. The difference? The organization that got the grant is controlled by supporters of the local Liberal MP.
This is wrong. Government money needs to be properly disbursed. All organizations should have an equal opportunity to apply for these dollars, which should be awarded on the basis of merit. We need to reward and fund organizations that do good work, not organizations that know the right people. We need to then ensure that this money is used for what it was intended, supporting newcomers to our province.
The
NDP has asked for the Auditor General to come in and review this
situation, and the government has blocked all attempts.
We have asked for the government to come clean on this and they
have attempted to deceive Ontarians.
Rather than answer our questions they have made outrageous
accusations.
The McGuinty
Liberals have always tried to present themselves as being above the fray,
as refusing to engage in partisan and dubious attacks. But as we get
closer to an election, and the NDP continues to come on strong, the
Liberals have started to resort to low blows and deceit.
During a recent by-election in Parkdale High Park, the Liberals attempted to smear the NDP candidate with outrageous accusations. Voters responded by electing the NDP candidate. In the absence of real solutions to the problems affecting the lives of everyday Ontarians, and in the context of slush funds and MPP pay raises it seems the only thing McGuinty Liberals can think to do is go negative. We know that Ontarians will know what they are doing and will respond accordingly.
