The auditor is investigating 16 hospitals for use of consultants, procurements and expenses, so I have a question for the Premier. It's very simple. How many contracts will the auditor find that were handed out to the Premier's former political staff, election campaign organizers and friends of the McGuinty Liberals?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: I think this is, sadly, par for the course when it comes to the official opposition. The Auditor General is conducting his work, as always, with the highest level of integrity, commitment and thoroughness. We welcome that and we encourage that, and anything we might do to support that, obviously, we are prepared to do.

Again, I want to come back to the original argument that I continue to make here. In every instance where we have tried to move ahead with new measures that promote accountability, transparency and further government openness, we have been opposed every step of the way by the party opposite. I would again say that the next time we want to move forward in those directions, I would ask them for their support.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Today is the opportunity to move forward by putting forward this private member's bill and voting for it to restore truth in government. He can do it. It's easy and it can be done today. Everyone but the McGuinty Liberals understand that the practices of the past need to change. The auditor discovered some eyebrow-raising consulting contracts and expenses at eHealth. There is every reason to believe he will find more of the same at the hospitals, or his report would have been tabled by now.

If the accountability reforms I am proposing were adopted, contracts over $10,000 would be posted online so Ontario families could track the Dalton McGuinty sweetheart deals to consultants at the Windsor Energy Centre or even at Casino Niagara.

So I've got a question for the Premier: Will he at least disclose the value of the untendered contracts that he handed out at Casino Niagara?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: My honourable colleague, sadly for her-and I feel for her in this regard-missed the good old days. It would have been great to have had her with us in opposition dealing with the Conservative government of the day and all of the challenges they created for Ontario taxpayers.

Again, whether we're talking about expanding the sunshine list or expanding the role we've given the Auditor General to look into different public institutions, whether we're talking about the rules we've put in place regarding expenses or whether we're talking about publicly posting expenses and making that mandatory, in all of those areas we have found a way, as a government, to make progress in Ontario. We have changed Conservative government rules. We considered them inadequate. We found them wanting. We've improved upon those, and in each and every instance we did that, we were opposed by the party opposite.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Final supplementary.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: This is actually quite laughable. Don't cry for me. It's you who is out of touch and out of gas. Your Liberals will not answer direct questions about how they spend taxpayer dollars.

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If the Truth in Government Act and its accountability measures were adopted today, Ontario families would have at their fingertips the value of contracts over $10,000. With Tim Hudak and the Ontario PC's plan, Ontario families will get proactive disclosure, greater accountability and truth in government. The alternative Dalton McGuinty offers is secret sweetheart deals for Casino Niagara, Samsung, consultants at the LHINs and the UHN, the Sudbury hospital, the Kingston General Hospital, 16 hospitals the auditor is reviewing and who knows where else?

Why are you so obviously trying to avoid letting anyone know who is getting rich off your contracts that you're handing out? Will you ensure that your caucus votes to support our-

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Premier?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: A lot of energy, a lot of heat; not a lot of light, sadly. I always appreciate the enthusiasm, the vigour and the vitality demonstrated by my colleague opposite, but we will continue to do what we believe is in the best interests of the people of Ontario. We will hold ourselves to the highest standards of accountability, transparency and openness. We will continue to find ways to ensure that the public dollar goes as far as possible. We'll continue to find ways to make sure that Ontario taxpayers get good value for their money, whether we're investing it in their hospitals, investing in their schools, investing in their roads, bridges, public transit or their environmental protections. I want to assure my colleague opposite that we take this responsibility very seriously.