One year later: only six employees have disclosed

TORONTO, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released an update of Premier McGuinty’s promise for greater transparency and accountability in Ontario crown corporations and agencies.

CTF Federal and Ontario Director Kevin Gaudet said, “it’s been over a year and still taxpayers are in the dark as to how their money is being spent by appointees to these organizations.”

On September 16^th, 2009, in response to a series of spending scandals in government of Ontario agencies and crown corporations, Premier McGuinty announced a new policy of expense disclosure. Effective September 1, 2009 expenses on travel, meals, and hospitality for Ontario’s 22 largest agencies were to be made public. This policy became law on November 30^th, 2009.

As of today, 13 months later, 20 of 22 agencies and crown corporation have made no public disclosures. The other two have only a total of six employees or board members with public information.

To speed up this process the CTF recommends that expenses be made public with receipts within 30 days after they are incurred. The Integrity Commissioner should play no role in vetting or approving them. Currently, they will not be posted until they are vetted, changed and approved by her office.

“How hard is it to put these receipts up online?  Surely someone working at these crown corporations knows how to use a scanner,” concluded Gaudet.

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For further information please contact:

Kevin Gaudet 1-877-267-3218 or 416-203-0030