More accusations of unqualified staff running the province’s air ambulance service and a questionable $14,000 payout to a Brazilian law firm by a now-bankrupt ORNGE spin-off company are the latest allegations in the helicopter scandal.
New Democrat MPP France Gélinas demanded an explanation from Health Minister Deb Matthews as to why ORNGE Global Holdings LP owes $14,000 to a Brazilian law firm.
“I want to know if the minister is aware of the Brazilian businesses going on and does she think that throwing taxpayers’ money around Brazil is a good use of public health-care dollars?” Gélinas said Thursday in the Legislature.
ORNGE spokesperson Jennifer Tracey was unable to provide any details on the $14,000 payment as it “may or may not fall within the parameters of the Ontario Provincial Police investigation.
The OPP were called in last week to probe a $6.7 million payment from ORNGE involving an Italian helicopter firm and $1.2 million in no-interest loans and a $250,000 cash advance given to former ORNGE boss Dr. Chris Mazza.
The Canadian Press is reporting that bankruptcy documents list Mazza as a creditor in one of its now defunct for-profit companies and that he is owed $1.
Before the police involvement was announced, a series of Star stories detailed how taxpayers’ money was used in a spending spree that included executive perks, high salaries and questionable loans to Mazza.
But Matthews continued to defend current ORNGE employees and her own job — one the opposition charges she should give up due to what they say is mismanagement of the crisis.
“I ask the minister once again, given her inability to manage this file, will she step aside?” said Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees.
Matthews said the list of nearly one dozen service disruptions handed to her on Wednesday by Klees have all been investigated and dealt with.
“We take every concern that is raised very seriously,” she said.
Those disruptions include helicopters being sent to the wrong hospitals, a lack of pilots that resulted in choppers being grounded in London for four days, and a delay that caused a child to lose an emergency pediatric bed. As a result, the patient was flown to Detroit for care.
“It appears that each one of those incidents had in fact been investigated by the people at ORNGE,” she said.
Matthews accused Klees — a veteran Tory politician who broke ranks with his party late last year when he threw his name in to run for Speaker — of playing games.
“So, the member opposite is playing a political game. I understand that. He wants a minister’s head on a platter,” she said.
Klees shot back that besides the financial irregularities being investigated by the police, the minister is “oblivious to the operational gaps” at the air service.
“What we want to know is, why hasn’t the minister put people in charge who are qualified and experienced in air ambulance to get things right?” he asked, pointing out the 13 serious incidents he brought to her attention on Wednesday have all occurred in the last several weeks.
Klees also questioned the appointment of Harvard business school educated Ontario deputy minister Ron McKerlie, who was made interim president and CEO with and sent in to clean up the organization after ORNGE founder Dr. Chris Mazza was terminated.
“With all due respect, we have the highest regard for Mr. McKerlie (but) he knows nothing about air ambulance services, knows nothing about air ambulances and knows nothing about the issue,” he said. “There are people in the public service who have that experience. Why hasn’t the minister put them in charge?”
Prior to his appointment, McKerlie had no other experience with air ambulance services, confirmed ORNGE’s Tracey.
New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said a nurse who worked for ORNGE for nearly five years and specialized in infectious disease management, complained the health ministry in 2009 about qualified staff being replaced with unqualified people.
“I’d like to know if the premier knows what the ministry’s investigations of that complaint revealed,” asked Horwath.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said that his government has “been very clear in terms of our disapproval of the activities that took place there, of the fact that the executive, the leadership, lost sight of their responsibility, first and foremost, to ensure that we are delivering the best possible care to Ontario patients; and secondly to show respect for Ontario taxpayers.”
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Tanya Talaga and Kevin Donovan
New Democrat MPP France Gélinas demanded an explanation from Health Minister Deb Matthews as to why ORNGE Global Holdings LP owes $14,000 to a Brazilian law firm.
“I want to know if the minister is aware of the Brazilian businesses going on and does she think that throwing taxpayers’ money around Brazil is a good use of public health-care dollars?” Gélinas said Thursday in the Legislature.
ORNGE spokesperson Jennifer Tracey was unable to provide any details on the $14,000 payment as it “may or may not fall within the parameters of the Ontario Provincial Police investigation.
The OPP were called in last week to probe a $6.7 million payment from ORNGE involving an Italian helicopter firm and $1.2 million in no-interest loans and a $250,000 cash advance given to former ORNGE boss Dr. Chris Mazza.
The Canadian Press is reporting that bankruptcy documents list Mazza as a creditor in one of its now defunct for-profit companies and that he is owed $1.
Before the police involvement was announced, a series of Star stories detailed how taxpayers’ money was used in a spending spree that included executive perks, high salaries and questionable loans to Mazza.
But Matthews continued to defend current ORNGE employees and her own job — one the opposition charges she should give up due to what they say is mismanagement of the crisis.
“I ask the minister once again, given her inability to manage this file, will she step aside?” said Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees.
Matthews said the list of nearly one dozen service disruptions handed to her on Wednesday by Klees have all been investigated and dealt with.
“We take every concern that is raised very seriously,” she said.
Those disruptions include helicopters being sent to the wrong hospitals, a lack of pilots that resulted in choppers being grounded in London for four days, and a delay that caused a child to lose an emergency pediatric bed. As a result, the patient was flown to Detroit for care.
“It appears that each one of those incidents had in fact been investigated by the people at ORNGE,” she said.
Matthews accused Klees — a veteran Tory politician who broke ranks with his party late last year when he threw his name in to run for Speaker — of playing games.
“So, the member opposite is playing a political game. I understand that. He wants a minister’s head on a platter,” she said.
Klees shot back that besides the financial irregularities being investigated by the police, the minister is “oblivious to the operational gaps” at the air service.
“What we want to know is, why hasn’t the minister put people in charge who are qualified and experienced in air ambulance to get things right?” he asked, pointing out the 13 serious incidents he brought to her attention on Wednesday have all occurred in the last several weeks.
Klees also questioned the appointment of Harvard business school educated Ontario deputy minister Ron McKerlie, who was made interim president and CEO with and sent in to clean up the organization after ORNGE founder Dr. Chris Mazza was terminated.
“With all due respect, we have the highest regard for Mr. McKerlie (but) he knows nothing about air ambulance services, knows nothing about air ambulances and knows nothing about the issue,” he said. “There are people in the public service who have that experience. Why hasn’t the minister put them in charge?”
Prior to his appointment, McKerlie had no other experience with air ambulance services, confirmed ORNGE’s Tracey.
New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said a nurse who worked for ORNGE for nearly five years and specialized in infectious disease management, complained the health ministry in 2009 about qualified staff being replaced with unqualified people.
“I’d like to know if the premier knows what the ministry’s investigations of that complaint revealed,” asked Horwath.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said that his government has “been very clear in terms of our disapproval of the activities that took place there, of the fact that the executive, the leadership, lost sight of their responsibility, first and foremost, to ensure that we are delivering the best possible care to Ontario patients; and secondly to show respect for Ontario taxpayers.”
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Tanya Talaga and Kevin Donovan
No comments:
Post a Comment