Durham PC Association

Liberal Appointees Get Rich While Guelph Patients Get Left Behind Ontario PC’s to Introduce Tough, New Accountability Act to Stop Waste News GUELPH – The Ontario PC Caucus has uncovered documents confirming that McGuinty Liberal senior executives and appointees of the Waterloo – Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) were engaged in handing out the same kinds of untendered contracts that produced the infamous Liberal eHealth scandal. In total, Dalton McGuinty’s Waterloo – Wellington regional health bureaucracy diverted more than $750,000 from frontline patient care and into the pockets of well connected consultants and insiders. This untendered contract spree is made all the more outrageous by the fact that three of the untendered contracts were handed out after Dalton McGuinty’s June 17, 2009 promise to ban this practice. In addition to Liberal-friendly consultants, the McGuinty Government appointees on these regional health bureaucracies are also getting rich off of Ontario’s health care dollars. Between 2006 and 2009, total executive salaries at the LHINs increased by 213%. During this time, the salary of the Waterloo-Wellington LHIN CEO has shot up from $223,000 to $290,000. The Ontario PC Caucus is introducing stringent, new transparency and accountability measures including legislation that will guarantee proactive disclosure of contracts for goods and services over $10,000. Such a rule – had it been in place, would have helped prevent the untendered contract spree. Quotes “Every dollar that the McGuinty Government spends on contracts and salaries at the LHINs is a dollar that should be going to frontline patient care. Families in Guelph deserve more respect for how hard they work and how much tax they pay.” – Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak “If Liberal MPPs are serious about learning from their scandals at eHealth and the LHINs they will join us in turning our transparency and accountability plan into law.” – Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak Quick Facts The Waterloo – Wellington LHIN handed out $750,000 in untendered contracts (three contracts were handed out after Dalton McGuinty’s June 17, 2009 promise to ban this practice throughout all government agencies). One of the untendered contracts was handed out for projects including LHIN Christmas message photos, New Years cards photos, designing holiday cards and translating letters to be sent to George Smitherman. In just four years, the number of LHIN appointees making more than $100,000 per year has increased from 40 to 114 — a 185% increase. This includes 19 employees who are making more than $200,000 per year. In 2006, three employees at the Waterloo – Wellington LHIN made six figure salaries and their total compensation was $504,000. Today, nine LHIN executives are making $1.3 million. During this time, the salary of the LHIN CEO has shot up from $223,000 to $290,000. On April 13, 2010 Tim Hudak released details of the Ontario PC plan to improve transparency and accountability of the government. In particular the Ontario PC plan calls for: Expanding Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to apply to all provincial public bodies Full proactive disclosure of contracts over $10,000 in value to apply to all provincial public bodies Full proactive disclosure of all travel and hospitality expenses to apply to all provincial public bodies More Ways to Get Involved


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