Hudak’s Cons: for their cronies, against tougher rules for consultants
This is being handed out at the Leg as I type this. Among other things, it represents a huge, huge strategic error by the Hudak Hillbillies – it shows that, despite all their braying and screeching about accountability, they have voted against rules to get tougher on lobbyists and consultants. They voted against all that. (The NDP voted for it.)
We’re going to tattoo this one on Timmy’s forehead, now. It’s a huge fumble. And it’s amazing, frankly.
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For Immediate Release
Hudak’s Conservatives Vote Against Tougher Rules
for Lobbyists and Consultants
(Queen’s Park) – Tim Hudak and the Ontario Conservatives put the interests of their high-priced Conservative lobbyist friends over taxpayers today, voting against a ban on taxpayer dollars being used to hire lobbyists to ask for more government money.
“Tim Hudak has a lot of antics, but his actions speak louder. He’s putting the interest of high-priced Conservative lobbyists ahead of taxpayers. That’s the Conservative way,” said Liberal MPP Dwight Duncan.
The Conservatives have tried to block accountability and transparency at every turn. Conservatives opposed:
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- Banning taxpayer funded lobbyists: they voted against stopping taxpayer dollars from being wasted on lobbyists asking for more taxpayer dollars
- Increasing transparency and accountability: they voted against requiring expenses to be posted online for Ministers, their staff, and the executives at public agencies like hospitals, hydro companies, and local health integration networks
- Banning partisan advertising: they wasted $250 million of taxpayer money on partisan self-promotion, and voted against legislation to stop it
- Independent auditing of the books before an election: after hiding a $5.6 Billion deficit from Ontarians, they voted against requiring the Auditor to sign off on the books before an election
Conservatives have a long record of trying to reward their friends and then trying to hide it. In 1999, the Harris-Hudak Conservatives removed agencies like Hydro One from freedom of information requirements, and then funnelled millions of taxpayer dollars through untendered contracts to Conservative insiders like Tom Long, Leslie Noble and Jamie Watt.
“Tim Hudak just doesn’t get it. He should be standing up for hard-working families instead of protecting his friends at the trough,” said Duncan.
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