ORNGE Scandal Requires a Review of all Public-Private Partnerships

Photo Credit: Simcoe.com

Toronto: Green Party of Ontario (GPO) leader Mike Schreiner is calling for a comprehensive review of all Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) in the wake of the scandal at ORNGE.

“Why are our tax dollars being wasted on million dollar bonuses and expensive perks?” asks Schreiner.  “This mess stinks, and it calls into question the value, transparency and accountability of P3s.”

The GPO believes that Auditor General Jim McCarter’s Special Report for ORNGE Air Ambulance raises a number of disturbing questions that require a full review of all P3s in Ontario.

“The government clearly was unable to hold ORNGE accountable for quality patient care and responsible financial stewardship due to the arms length, P3 relationship with ORNGE,” says Schreiner.

The GPO believes the ORNGE scandal must go beyond typical gotcha politics and include a public review of P3s.  Providing long-term solutions that result in transparent, accountable and effective delivery of public services are a top priority for the GPO.

“How many other ORNGE’s are out there,” asks Schreiner.  “The privatization of profit and socialization of risk on the back of taxpayers concerns everyone.  We need to know if P3s are really providing financial value for Ontario.”

Happy New Year

As we bring the year to a close, I wish you all the very best for a prosperous, safe, happy and healthy 2010. The new year is already presenting some new challenges and new directions for me and I am looking forward to them.

I will continue with this blog, although I will try to post on a more regular basis. I know that I've been a bit lax lately. My friend, and federal Green Party candidate Ellen Michelson who is in China now informed me that my blog is blocked there, which only inspires me to continue to bring you news relating to free speech and human rights, which to me are basic human rights that everyone, in all countries deserves.

This is why I was so against China being awarded the Olympic games in 2008 and why I continue to have a major beef with the IOC and their strange ways of rewarding countries that continue to abuse and torture their citizens. But that is just one of the many problems with China. We here in the west continue to fund their growth and power with our wallets while occasionally making weak remarks about human rights.  Of course we want human rights for all, but it is also easy to ignore the plight of those on the other side of the world in return for cheap blue jeans.

On another note, I've taken my interest in politics a step further by recently accepting the position of CEO for the provincial Green Party Constituency Association. I'm very excited about this new endeavor and I am looking forward to growing the party membership in the Toronto Centre riding. It's a time of renewed excitement for the provincial greens now that we have a new full time leader with Mike Schreiner taking the post. I've met Mike a few times and I like him very much and I think he is the right man for the job. You will certainly be hearing and seeing a lot of Mike in the coming months as he is working hard to spread the green message. We will also be having a by-election this coming year, here in Toronto Centre, since the Liberal MPP, George Smitherman stepped down to enter the Toronto Mayoral race. I have so much to learn and have already met so many interesting and diverse people through the party. If you would like any information or have any questions about the green party please don't hesitate to contact me.

It is an exciting time for the Green Party at the federal level, I predict 2010 will be the year we will elect our first MP in Canada.  Once that happens we are going to see  continued growth and more MP's and MPP's as time goes on. I hope you will join us and be a part of history!

Auditor General Ehealth Report

The McGuinty government has WASTED ONE BILLION DOLLARS of our money.
What are you going to do about it? Click the post title to see the auditor general's report.
Here's a couple of highlights copied directly from the auditors press release:
1. Of the $1 billion spent so far on the EHR initiative, $800 million was spent by the SSHA primarily to build a computer network for health-care providers that is expensive to operate and significantly underutilized, mainly because of a dearth of available applications. 

Specifically, it is costing $72 million annually to operate the network; and, on average, users are utilizing less than 1% of the network’s available bandwidth (or system capacity), with peak usage averaging only about 16% of available bandwidth. 

2. Allegations earlier this year that eHealth Ontario awarded contracts to certain companies without giving other firms a chance to compete were “largely true,” as were allegations of “favouritism” in the awarding of such contracts. For example, one firm that bid 500% more than the next qualified bidder was invited to bid again, the only company offered such an opportunity, and, after lowering its bid significantly, won the contract. Another firm that was awarded untendered contracts on the first phase of several projects was awarded many subsequent contracts worth about $7 million to work on successive phases of those projects. 

I am disgusted by this and will be urging the opposition leaders to hammer McGuinty in the legislature. He has a majority government so there's not much we can do until the election in a couple of years.

Day 30 Strike News

• George Smitherman was accosted by a strikers wife in what quickly turned into a bad PR stunt as he swept up garbage.
• City Hall has started issuing building permits again.
• Toronto stinks, but the scent varies depending on the neighborhood, temperature and amount of precipitation.