MPP Ted Arnott asks Minister to call in Provincial Auditor to account for Tourism ‘slush fund'
During Question Period in the Ontario Legislature on May 14th, Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott raised the issue of a $4 billion Government-wide “slush fund”, whereby taxpayers' money seems to have been spent without normal accountability processes and controls.
As the Progressive Conservative Critic for Tourism, Mr. Arnott brought his questions to the Minister of Tourism, Jim Bradley. He asked for an account of some $48 million in spending by that Ministry.
“Will the Minister please provide this House with a full accounting of how this money was spent – to whom were the grants given and what was the application process?” Mr. Arnott asked the Minister.
In response the Minister stonewalled, and only in passing did he make reference to the substance of the question.
Following up, Mr. Arnott demanded a clear accounting of where all the money was spent.
“Will the Minister please provide us with that list, and given how the Minister of Citizenship handled his slush fund and the Premier's explanation of his low standard for the handling of this slush fund money, will the Minister please tell us whether or not he supports calling in the Auditor General to investigate the process by which grants were paid out of his Ministry?”
Again, the Minister ducked the question in his response.
“I can't see why the Minister of Tourism would not want to provide us with all of the information,” Mr. Arnott said later, “unless they are just rushing money out the door to buy support for the Ontario Liberal Party in the lead up to the election.”
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