News:

The Ontario PC Caucus today challenged Dalton McGuinty to publicly account for the relationship between his government, the Ontario Liberal Party, and the ‘Working Families’ organization which has spent $7 million on surrogate Liberal attack ads over the past two Ontario election campaigns.

Members of ‘Working Families’ have received multiple taxpayer-funded payments from the McGuinty Government. Contributors to ‘Working Families’ have, to date, received $23.5 million from the McGuinty Government. In addition, ‘Working Families’ ad-men and pollsters have received over $5.6 million in taxpayer-funded contracts from the McGuinty Government.

McGuinty must also publicly account for ‘Working Families’ front man Patrick Dillon’s relationship with McGuinty’s former Chief of Staff and Campaign Director Don Guy, as well as former Liberal Finance Minister Greg Sorbara. Tomorrow Dillon will appear before the Standing Committee of Government Agencies where he will be called on to answer questions in advance of receiving his third McGuinty appointment to the Board of the College of Trades Appointment Council. To date Dillon’s appointments already pay combined per diems of $775 per day.

Quotes:

– Lisa Macleod, Ontario PC MPP for Nepean-Carleton and critic for Revenue and Government Accountability

– Lisa Macleod, Ontario PC MPP for Nepean-Carleton and critic for Revenue and Government Accountability

Quick Facts:

• In the 2003 and 2007 campaigns, Working Families spent $7 million on advertising directly attacking the Ontario PC Party to the benefit of the McGuinty Liberals.
• Since 2003, contributors to Working Families have received $23.5 million from the Government of Ontario.
• The McGuinty Liberals have appointed Patrick Dillon to the board of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the Board of Infrastructure Ontario, and are now trying to appoint him to the Board of the College of Trades Appointment Council.