For Immediate Release

September 8^th, 2009

(Queen's Park) – Opposition MPPs were shot down today on their request to have a legislative watchdog committee review the embattled eHealth Ontario agency.

Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod, with the support from the NDP, fought for a probe of the troubled eHealth this morning in the Committee on Government Agencies, which acts as a legislative watchdog committee. However, the Liberals who dominate the watchdog committee unanimously rejected to bring in the agency for review without any explanation.

“This is a sad reflection on where the priorities lie with this Liberal government,” said MacLeod, who serves as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Government Agencies. “A mammoth scandal has emerged at eHealth, and I am disappointed that the Liberal members would vote like sheep and refuse a legislative probe.”

eHealth Ontario has been under fire for questionable spending and untendered contracts. However, eHealth appears to be just the tip of the iceberg in this Liberal government’s shocking pattern of abusive activities at government agencies. As the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. faces questionable expenses, and now the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation broke its own rules in contracts.

“It is clear that this kind of waste and mismanagement is the rule in the McGuinty Liberal government,” said MacLeod. "Millions of dollars in untendered contract went into the pockets of consultants at eHealth, and the legislature and the people of Ontario deserve answers.”

“This Liberal government must be afraid of what this review might uncover, given what has already surfaced at eHealth, what else are they hiding?” concluded MacLeod.

-30-