Watchdog complains, again, about stonewalling

LeClair says Ontario Liberals ‘overused’ cabinet exemption

In his first annual report, Ontario’s new financial accountability officer complains — again — the Liberal government is stonewalling his requests for information.

Four such requests have been “partially” fulfilled and two have been stymied, Stephen LeClair said in the 31-page report issued Tuesday.

“Ministries have refused to give the FAO for reasons not grounded in the Financial Accountability Officer Act,” he wrote, noting government departments have “overused” an exemption for cabinet records.

“The broad scope of these claims is making it more costly, difficult and time-consuming for the FAO to perform his duties.”

LeClair, who has previously reported on concerns about the partial privatization of Hydro One and looming debt levels, said the cabinet exemptions claimed involve his requests for future spending and revenue that have not been publicly released.

Opposition finance critics accused Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government of trying to hamstring LeClair, who told reporters in March he suspects information is being withheld by officials because of “political direction” from the Liberals.

“She’s more interested in protecting the Liberal party and her own reputation, than she is in independent, non-partisan oversight,” New Democrat MPP Catherine Fife said in a statement.

“This isn’t the first time the FAO has called out the government for keeping facts from his office,” she said.

“Ontario’s independent watchdogs are there to give people the facts and cut through government spin.”

Fife, the MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo, proposed legislation last spring to give the financial accountability officer the right to the same information given to Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk.

It’s clear the Liberal government is “skirting” its proper legal obligations to provide LeClair with information to analyze provincial finances fully and pass judgment on government financial projections and claims, said Progressive Conservative MPP Vic Fedeli (Nipissing).

“Through the work of the FAO, Ontarians have learned a number of disappointing revelations: the sale of Hydro One will have a negative impact on the province’s finances; business investment is set to decline, and Ontario’s debt level is spiralling out of control,” Fedeli said.

“He’s also confirmed what the Official Opposition has been saying for months: the government is using one-time money from asset sales, contingency funds, and tax increases to artificially balance the budget in an election year,” he added.

LeClair urged the government to give his office, which has nine fulltime staff, access to all the information it needs to assess Ontario’s finances.