Ms. Lisa MacLeod: My question is for the vice-chair of Management Board and the minister without portfolio. Today’s North Bay Nugget says, “Nipissing MPP Monique Smith was among the ministers who signed off on a $30-million untendered contract for eHealth in November 2008. The contract went to IBM and was approved by Smith and six” of the management board colleagues.

Will you be able to confess to this House today that you were indeed at that meeting?

Hon. Gerry Phillips: Because of the question regarding the Management Board, I refer the question to the Chair of the Management Board.

Hon. Dwight Duncan: My colleagues and I on the Management Board—and the deputy Chair has, I think, a spotless attendance record and likely would have been at that meeting. The contract the member referenced has not been talked about in the auditor’s report. I will point out, however, that the auditor does make recommendations with respect to how we administer contracts both in ministries and at the Management Board level. We welcome those recommendations and we will be acting on them.

In instances cited in the report itself, he points out challenges and he points out that we followed the rules at Management Board. The rules themselves need clarification to ensure greater accountability and greater transparency.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Again to the vice-chair of the Management Board, he might be the minister without portfolio but he is not the minister without sin in this case. The North Bay Nugget, I repeat, from today, says, “Nipissing MPP Monique Smith was among the ministers who signed off on the $30-million untendered contract for eHealth in November 2008. The contract went to IBM and was approved by Smith and six colleagues on the Management Board of Cabinet.”

The interjection by the Minister of Tourism suggests that her own North Bay Nugget is always wrong. Perhaps given this—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. Please continue.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Given that a quarter of the cabinet of Mr. McGuinty were accomplishes in the bonanza of untendered contracts at eHealth, minister without portfolio, don’t you agree that Dalton

McGuinty lacks any credibility?

Hon. Dwight Duncan: My colleagues and I in Management Board, indeed, in government, have taken a number of steps to ensure greater accountability and greater transparency in all matters related to tendering and contracts.

In the auditor’s report, he identified a serious issue with respect to the rules around tendering. He has made a number of recommendations. We will, in fact, move on those recommendations. All of my colleagues and I have worked hard to provide for greater transparency and accountability. I believe the recommendations the auditor has brought forward, in fact, achieve that. I would remind the member opposite that other governments have done this. For instance, there was a $1.5-million sole-source contract to IBM under their party; $100,000-sole-source contract to Glen Wright. We have a long list of these and we’ll continue to review those. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to make—

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.