Mantha’s News from the Park

Written by MPP Michael Mantha on 07 December 2015

MPP Michael Mantha, Algoma-Manitoulin

It’s been a busy week with the release of the Auditor General’s report. The Report confirms what people across Ontario are already feeling, Liberal government’s choices aren’t about Ontarians.

The scathing Annual Report, showing that the choices made by Premier Wynne and her Liberal government are increasingly out of touch with the priorities of Ontario families.

The report showed that the Liberals are out of touch with what Ontarians need and are failing at the fundamentals like, caring for our most vulnerable, caring for seniors, and delivering affordable electricity.

The Auditor’s report showed a number of key findings:

80% of Economic Development money is spent on an invite-only basis, via programs with little oversight and no open application process;
Seniors are waiting 198 days for Personal Support Services;
Some Children’s Aid Societies are funding executive benefits that are “excessive and questionable” while at-risk children and youth are being placed in care with people who have not been checked against the Child Abuse Register; and
Problems raised by the Auditor General in 2010 in Ontario’s Community Care Access Centers have still not been addressed.

This Liberal Government has made a mess of our energy system and a sell-off to the private sector will only make it worse. Their choices are putting vulnerable children in harm’s way, are hurting people who rely on social assistance, and are failing frail and elderly Ontarians.

Additionally, the AG confirmed Liberals still failing on Ring of Fire and mining in Ontario. In the AG’s report, her audit found what the people of the north already knew: that despite this province being the largest mineral producer in this country, it was ninth overall in attracting mining projects.

The Auditor General’s report found that, since 2010, the Ring of Fire Secretariat, created by this government, has spent over $13 million and has nothing to show for it.

When Wynne campaigned in Thunder Bay she said about the Ring of Fire: “We are making it a priority for my government… We will commit $1-billion with or without the federal government involvement.”

The Premier told Ontarians: “I will not consider my premiership successful unless we have seen significant progress on the Ring of Fire.”

Last year, mining giant Cliffs, who spent $550 million in the Ring of Fire, said they can no longer do business with this Liberal government and sold their claims at a massive loss to Noront Resources for $20 Million.

The Auditor General’s report confirms what New Democrats have been saying for years: that the Liberal government is on track to kill the $60 billion mining project.

As always, please feel free to contact my office about these issues, or any other provincial matters. You can reach my constituency office by email at mmantha-co@ndp.on.ca or by phone at 705-461-9710/1-800-831-1899.

MPP Michael Mantha,