TORONTO – Ontario’s auditor general is releasing her annual report today that is expected to go after the Liberal government in some contentious areas, including the electricity system and home care.
Bonnie Lysyk’s report is set to cover 14 program areas in which her office conducted audits to see if taxpayers are getting value for their money.
One of the areas she will focus on is whether the electricity system, including Hydro One, is ensuring the transparency, accountability and efficiency of planning to meet demand for power and whether Hydro One has adequate systems to maintain its transmission and distribution.
The government has come under fire from the opposition for its plan to sell off 60 per cent of Hydro One, including a 15-per-cent initial public offering, which critics say will make the utility less transparent and less accountable.
Lysyk has also taken a look at inspections of long-term care homes as well as Community Care Access Centres and whether they are able to co-ordinate home-care services, as the government looks at moving to a more community-based model of health care.
The auditor is dedicating another section of her report to the Social Assistance Management System, the program responsible for administering welfare and disability payments that has been plagued with problems that the government has spent millions trying to correct.
Since it was released SAMS has been experiencing many issues, notably queuing up $20 million in welfare and disability support overpayments last December.
The IBM-developed system cost Ontario $242 million, but additional costs – including millions in extra payments to municipalities for overtime for staff dealing with the problems – have put the bill closer to $300 million.
Children’s aid societies will be under Lysyk’s microscope too, as will school bus services, infrastructure planning, interest-free loans the government gives to businesses to support economic development, the cleanup of contaminated sites and the exploration and development of Ontario’s mineral resources.
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