Last year, you announced new rules that you said would stop expense scandals like what happened at OLG and eHealth, but the rules do not apply to the LHINs. How do we know? Because we called the Integrity Commissioner and asked.

So I have a very simple question: Did you leave a loophole in accountability rules so your hand-picked appointees and Liberal-friendly consultants can continue to make Ontario patients cover the lattes, the cupcake parties, the GPSs and other expenses?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I think I note a certain line of questioning and a theme developing here. I'm not sure it's in keeping with the highest priorities of the people of Ontario, but of course it's up to the Conservative Party to make their own determination in this regard.

Just to be clear, we have insisted that the people who work for our local health integration networks in fact post their expenses online. I'm not sure my colleagues understand that, but that's a change that we made some time ago.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I think I just heard the Premier of Ontario say that accountability is not an important and pressing issue in the province of Ontario, and that's wrong, because at eHealth, Liberal-friendly consultants at Courtyard were reimbursed thousands of dollars without receipts.

Our freedom-of-information records reveal that the Premier's LHINs are still reimbursing expenses in spite of his new rules. The South West LHIN paid over $4,000 to Courtyard without receipts. The North West LHIN reimbursed over $19,000. Others have done the same thing. At eHealth, this sort of abuse cost you a CEO , a chair, a deputy minister and a minister.

If you won't adopt the Ontario PC proposals for greater accountability, then how will you enforce accountability for untendered contracts and consultant expenses at local health integration networks?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Health.

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I'm more than happy to discuss the issues you've raised today, but I want to go back to a question you raised yesterday about the reporting of people who are seconded to the LHINs, who are paid by hospitals.

I have done a little bit of homework, and I think the member opposite will be interested in this.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. I want to hear questions and answers, and with loud noise in the chamber, I cannot hear those questions and those answers.

Minister?

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Hon. Deborah Matthews: The individuals you named yesterday were actually on the sunshine list. We committed to post people who are working for the ministry separately as opposed to in their hospitals, and we did that. All of the people who were mentioned yesterday are highly qualified professionals doing very important work and providing valuable expertise to the LHIN.