TORONTO, ON:  The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on the Ontario Government to take action on the recommendations contained in the 2018 Auditor General’s Annual Report.

“The Ontario government has a $14.5-billion deficit and the Auditor General’s report gives Premier Ford a to-do list for cutting that deficit down,” said CTF Ontario Director Christine Van Geyn. “The government can take out their scissors and start just about anywhere, whether with the projected $2 billion annual cost of handing out cash to students who don’t need it, or at the dysfunctional Ontario Works which has failed to get people off welfare, or at Waterfront Toronto, which has done pretty much nothing since it was established.”

The Annual Report, released Dec. 5, conducted 15 value for money audits and includes recommendations to improve the programs. The programs looked at included Metrolinx and Go station selection, the OSAP program for student loans and grants, the Ontario Works welfare program, Waterfront Toronto, and the use of external government consultants.

The Auditor General’s 2018 Annual Report was the first in two years to give the government a clean audit. Under the last two years of the Wynne government, the Auditor General had issued qualified audits because of the previous government’s failure to comply with public sector accounting standard. In her press conference today, the Auditor General said she now considers this issue resolved.

“While it is always painful to see how much waste the Auditor General finds in these reports, at least taxpayers have the silver lining that their government isn’t lying to them about the deficit anymore,” said Van Geyn. “It’s a relief to know the Auditor General and Ontario taxpayers can finally trust the government’s books. Now it’s time for Premier Ford to start tackling this waste and balance the budget.”