McGuinty Blocks LHIN Review to Hide Another eHealth-Style Insider Scandal

TORONTO, March 30 /CNW/ -

News

On the heels of dismissing Ontario Ombudsman André Marin, who was conducting an in-depth review of a LHIN, the McGuinty Liberals used the Budget to cancel the review of the LHINs by a Standing Committee of the Legislature. The review was to start no later than March 28, 2010.

Through Freedom of Information requests, the Ontario PC Caucus has obtained documentary evidence confirming that there was over $7 million in untendered contracts handed out at LHINs and, on at least six separate occasions, Dalton McGuinty's appointees ignored his well-publicized June 17 'ban' on handing out untendered contracts to friendly consultants.

More documents revealed today show that the former CEO of the Toronto - Central LHIN, Barry Monaghan funnelled public money through an untendered contract to a consulting firm run by his friend and former colleague Janice Walker. Following his resignation from the LHIN, Monaghan was rewarded with a job at Walker's firm, and both Monaghan and Walker continued to receive untendered contracts from Monaghan's former peers at Ontario's other LHINs. In 2008, Monaghan received $351,000 in salary from the Toronto Central LHIN, even though he resigned from that post in November 2007.

Quotes

"In the face of untendered contracts and spiralling executive salaries that divert healthcare dollars away from frontline patient care, Dalton McGuinty quietly cancelled his legislative review of the LHINs. Ontario families need an explanation on what he is trying to hide."

-- Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

"The eHealth scandal began as a series of small spending irregularities, and Dalton McGuinty's first reaction was to bury the truth. Now that we see growing evidence of eHealth-style scandals at the LHINs, Dalton McGuinty has obstructed a public review of his LHIN appointees."

-- Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

Quick Facts

    
    -   Ontario Ombudsman André Marin was investigating the Hamilton Niagara
        Haldimand Brant LHIN. His reappointment has been blocked by the
        McGuinty Liberals.
    -   On page 164 of the 2010 Budget, the McGuinty Liberals buried details
        of a plan to rewrite the "Local Health Systems Act 2006" to remove a
        legal requirement to hold a legislative committee review of the LHINs
        by March 28, 2010.
    -   The Ontario PC Caucus has used Ontario's Freedom of Information Laws
        to reveal that Dalton McGuinty's LHIN bureaucracies were engaged in
        the same binge of untendered contracts that were behind the Liberal
        eHealth scandal. To date over $7 million worth of untendered
        contracts have been discovered at the LHINs, including untendered
        contracts for the eHealth-linked Liberal-friendly Courtyard Group.
    -   The former CEO of the Toronto Central Health Board, Barry Monaghan,
        collected $1.1 million in salary over the course of three years. Even
        though Monaghan resigned in November 2007, the Toronto Central Health
        Board continued to pay him $351,000 in 2008.
    -   Prior to joining the Toronto Central LHIN as its CEO, Barry Monaghan
        worked with Janice Walker at West Park Health Care Centre where
        Monaghan was the CEO and Walker was the Chief Information Officer. On
        January 2, 2007, Barry Monaghan gave a $38,400 untendered contract to
        Janice Walker and her consulting firm, Belcourt Partners.
    -   After leaving the Toronto Central LHIN, Barry Monaghan was rewarded
        with a job at Jan Walker's consulting firm Belcourt Partners, where
        the two continued to receive untendered contracts. At the same time,
        Monaghan also received untendered contracts from the LHINs through
        his own consulting company, Barry Monaghan and Associates.
    -   As CEO of the Toronto Central LHIN, Barry Monaghan handed out
        $325,000 in untendered contracts. After resigning in 2007, Monaghan
        then received $313,000 in untendered contracts.
    

For further information: Christine Bujold, [phone], [email protected]