Auditor general to grade Ford government on climate, justice, health and safety
TORONTO — Ontario’s auditor general will assess the government’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in her annual report, to be released Wednesday.
It is one of 19 areas in which Bonnie Lysyk’s office has conducted value-for-money audits this year.
The Progressive Conservative government cancelled Ontario’s cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after last year’s election, and has introduced its own environment plan. Lysyk has looked at that plan to assess its effectiveness and whether the government is drawing on credible information.
The report will also assess various areas of the justice system. It will look at whether the province has cost-effective systems for managing court operations and if they support timely resolution of court cases. There will also be separate sections dedicated to the criminal court system and family court services.
As well, the auditor has looked at whether working conditions in jails and detention centres allow correctional staff to safely supervise inmates, and if the programs and services in those facilities are delivered efficiently.
The office of the chief coroner and the forensic pathology service will also be under the microscope, with that audit assessing if the systems and procedures in place ensure effective and high-quality death investigations.
Several sections will deal with health care, including audits on patient safety and the administration of drugs at acute-care hospitals, as well as addictions treatment programs, chronic kidney disease management, and food and nutrition in longterm-care homes.
The auditor has also looked at food safety inspection programs — such as meat, produce and dairy — and public health units’ food premises inspections and how they monitor and manage outbreaks of foodborne illness.
Other topics include cybersecurity at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., provincial support to the horse racing industry, workplace health and safety, commercial vehicle safety and enforcement, and the Ontario Disability Support Program.