Document Reveals Horwath Misled on Financial Accountability Officer

NDP Blocked Appointment of Two Qualified Candidates in April, Then Criticized the Vacancy

TORONTO, May 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Andrea Horwath made the lack of a new Financial Accountability Officer the centrepiece of the NDP's rationale for an election, but new documents reveal that the vacancy exists only because the NDP blocked the appointment of two qualified candidates.     

NDP MPP Catherine Fife, a member of the all-party hiring committee, brought the hiring process to a halt in April by withholding the NDP's support for any applicants.  Fife personally wrote to the Speaker of the Legislature:  "I am looking forward to finding and hiring an independent and qualified applicant from a new field of candidates."  

"The lack of a new Financial Accountability Officer was the centrepiece of Andrea Horwath's opposition to our job-creating budget, but that office would already be up and running if the NDP didn't stop it," said Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca.  "I know because I was there.  I sat on the all-party hiring committee and watched as the NDP rejected qualified applicants and demanded a restart to the application process."  

Del Duca wrote to Fife last month:  

"I would like it to be clearly understood, for the record, that I was prepared to accept on behalf of the government caucus either of the two applicants that our committee last interviewed because I felt that both were qualified, and because I believe it is important that Ontario have its first Financial Accountability Officer in place sooner rather than later.
I was, and remain, extremely disappointed that our committee could not achieve consensus after going through an exhaustive hiring process and so I have grudgingly accepted that the NDP and PC representatives on the committee want to restart said process."
(Email from Steven Del Duca to NDP Catherine Fife, April 11, 2014)  

Del Duca noted that the NDP is also wrong on Liberal progress on auto insurance, home care, and CEO salaries.

• Ontario Liberals reduced auto insurance rates by 6% on average, and are on track to meet our commitment.  The NDP stalled our legislation that would have sent rates even lower.
• Ontario Liberals increased home care and community services by $260 million, far more than the $30 million the NDP requested.
• Ontario Liberals introduced legislation - the Accountability Act - to control public sector CEO salaries, including hard caps.  The NDP killed that legislation by opposing the Budget.

"Ontarians can see through the NDP's shameless politicking.  Only Ontario Liberals have a clear plan to build opportunity today and security for now and for our future." said Del Duca. 

SOURCE: Ontario Liberal Party

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