| TIME TO CALL IN THE AUDITOR: TORY |
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| Monday, 23 April 2007 19:00 |
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More questions emerge about grants rushed out the door with no questions asked QUEEN'S PARK, April 24, 2007 – Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory today said the Auditor must look into Citizenship and Immigration grants after more questions emerged about the process in awarding another grant. “If Dalton McGuinty or his Minister won’t provide answers, the independent Auditor should,” said Tory. “It’s time for Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals to agree to full co-operation with the Auditor General so that we can get to the bottom of this and clear the air.” In the Legislature today, Tory asked what checks and due diligence were done about the Shromani Sikh Sangat temple at 269 Pape Avenue in Toronto, which received $100,000 from the McGuinty slush fund. In the 1990s, the federal government revoked the charitable status of this organization for failing to file tax returns. An article from the Toronto Star from 2002 also says this organization was one of three that, in 2002, was caught issuing improper charitable tax receipts to donors. During a loud Question Period where McGuinty Liberal Cabinet Ministers continually tried to shout down the opposition, Tory repeated his call for the Auditor to investigate the McGuinty government’s slush fund. He pointed to several grants to organizations with Liberal Party connections as proof that the slush fund needs to be investigated: A $250,000 grant to the Ontario Khalsa Darbar – five of the 10 board members have connections to the Liberal party. A $250,000 grant to the Bengali Cultural Society, who received money after a meeting was arranged by the former Chretien cabinet minister, Maria Minna. A $200,000 grant to the Iranian Canadian Cultural Centre, which was registered as an animal welfare group and which received money after being a registered charity for only three weeks. All seven of its board members donated to the Liberal party. “Any reasonable person would think the shortage of paperwork and the surplus of Liberals suggests this is a slush fund,” said Tory. “For three years this has been going on. What needs to happen is the Auditor General needs to come in and investigate this whole mess.” -30- For more information: Brendan Howe (416) 325-0412 |