TORONTO, ON – Bonnie Crombie, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling on the Ontario Government’s mandate letters:
“Respect for taxpayers must mean openness, transparency and accountability, so the public has confidence the government is carefully managing their money and working diligently on their priorities.
Since coming to power, the Ford Conservatives have refused to be straight with the public, keeping mandate letters hidden from view. This is alarming since this government has consistently operated behind closed doors to put well-connected insiders ahead of Ontario families. Whether breaking their promise to not touch the Greenbelt, inviting private corporations to profit off of our healthcare system or their latest backroom deal with the Staples sole-source coverup, this Conservative government’s privatization agenda has been cloaked in secrecy and left Ontario businesses and communities behind.
The public deserves to know what the Premier instructs his Ministers to do; if this government were truly ‘for the people,’ this would include being for the people’s right to know what their government is doing. Ontario citizens should be able to trust that their Premier will act in the public’s best interest.
All of this time, effort and millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to fight against making mandate letters public suggests they have more to hide. The government must come clean on how much these legal fights to cover-up their mandate letters have cost taxpayers.
That’s why as Premier, I will release all ministerial mandate letters shortly after naming a cabinet, and work tirelessly to ensure there is transparency and accountability in every decision that the next Ontario Liberal government makes on behalf of the people of this province.”