Fact Check: Liberals don't want a Financial Accountability Officer because they're afraid of accountability

TORONTO, May 3, 2014 /CNW/ - After dragging their feet on their commitment to hire a Financial Accountability Officer for over a year, the Liberals are now desperately trying to pin the blame for their failures on anyone but themselves.

Here's the facts:

Finance Minister Charles Sousa committed that the Office would be filled by the end of 2013. (Globe and Mail, September 26, 2013)

But months after the Budget had passed, the Liberals still hadn't even struck a hiring committee. As media noted at the time: "Promises, promises. No doubt they were made in good faith last spring when the minority Liberal government needed the support of the NDP to prop up its budget and avoid a snap election. Unfortunately, that urgency appears to have faded." (Toronto Star, November 25, 2013)

Since then the Liberals have done little to make the Financial Accountability Office a reality. A number of qualified candidates withdrew from the hiring process because the Liberals failed to provide key information to candidates, leading to the hiring process re-starting, after the Liberals tried to ram through a hand-picked candidate.

"Once again, we see a desperate Liberal party failing to keep their promises and desperately trying to pin the blame on everyone but themselves. It's more proof that it's time for change," said NDP MPP Gilles Bisson.

SOURCE: New Democratic Party of Ontario

Alex Callahan, 416-908-7750