MILLIONS MORE WASTED BY MCGUINTY LIBERALS
Tory, Runciman identify 3 more examples – list grows to 12 ways McGuinty broke promise
(Queen’s Park) – Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory and MPP Bob Runciman this afternoon revealed three more ways Dalton McGuinty is breaking his promise to respect taxpayer dollars after launching a campaign to stop government waste this morning.
“Ontarians work hard for their money, they pay their taxes and they expect those taxes to be managed prudently,” said Tory. “What they get instead from this government is money flushed down the toilet at an astonishing clip.”
In the Legislature today, Tory gave several examples of wasted money at the Ministry of Education:
- A freedom of information request by the PC Caucus found the McGuinty Liberals spent $558,623 to create one partisan television advertisement about education. The government wouldn’t release how much they’re spending buying advertising time but it is likely in the millions.
- The Ministry of Education saw its spending on consultants jump a staggering 1,277 percent. In 2005-06 the Ministry spent $286,035, up from $20,758 in 2003-04.
- In 2005-06 the Ministry of Education spent $1.2 million on hotel rooms, most of which are in Toronto.
“This is money that is being blatantly wasted and not going into classrooms, not buying supplies or textbooks,” said Government Waste Critic Bob Runciman. “The $1.2 million they spent on hotel rooms is more than this government spent on the Northern District School Board schools last year. This is waste at its worse and there’s no justification for it.”
Tory added: “Mr. McGuinty and the Liberals have no respect for taxpayers and no respect for their money. We simply can’t afford any more McGuinty government waste and mismanagement.”
