For immediate release:
July 30, 2007

McGuinty lets slush fund Minister take fall for $32 million scandal
Local communities denied assistance as party insiders get rich quick: Barrett

Simcoe—MPP Toby Barrett condemned Premier McGuinty’s poor leadership, after receiving news that the Citizenship Minister will be taking the fall for a slush fund that spanned several Ministries, including Finance.

“The standard for Ontario’s government was set by Dalton McGuinty,” Barrett said.  “The Premier both denied and defended the scandal-plagued slush fund for 100 days before letting his Minister take the fall.”

The report issued by the Auditor on Thursday found evidence that money was distributed largely at the discretion of Minister Colle’s office, with a process that the Auditor described as “among the worst that [I’ve] seen, in terms of almost no controls, process, or accountability…”

“The communities on our area’s sand plain are struggling with the downturn in agriculture, and we’ve seen development come to a halt along the Grand River,” Barrett continued.  “We could have used some of that money for infrastructure, business development, and farm assistance.

“I fear the slush fund was more of a symptom than the disease itself,” Barrett continued.  “The Minister’s resignation is more of a pain killer than actual medicine.”

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446 or
1-800-903-8629