Fedeli accuses Liberals of refusing to hand over ONTC documents

Nipissing MPP Victor Fedeli
News Release

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Nipissing MPP and PC Finance Critic Vic Fedeli is outraged that the Ministry of Finance is now refusing to turn over documents on Ontario Northland to a Legislative Committee.



Just last week, the Standing Committee on Estimates voted in favour of Fedeli’s motion ordering release of Ministry of Finance documents relating to Ontario Northland in the months leading up to the 2011 election to be released.



“What exactly are they hiding? What don’t they want Northerners to know?” Fedeli asked.



In response to a previous Freedom of Information request, the Ministry said over 700 pages of Ontario Northland documents responsive to that request existed. However, the Ministry only turned over 11 mostly redacted pages in total.



The motion approved at Committee last week, without support of the Liberals, would have seen the remainder of those documents released.



“I won’t stand for this cover-up, nor will the residents of Nipissing and Northeastern Ontario. We have a right to know what the Liberals were really planning for Ontario Northland before the last election,” said Fedeli, who is reviewing all options to still get the documents released.



Other Ministry of Finance documents previously released to the Gas Plant Scandal Committee have shown the Liberal fire sale won’t save the $265 million they claimed, but rather would cost taxpayers up to $790 million - a billion-dollar gap, Fedeli added.



“The Liberals simply can’t be trusted, and the Premier can’t be believed when she claims to be open and transparent – this refusal to release the Ontario Northland documents is proof of that.”

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