The Progressive Conservatives want to cut off $150 million in ORNGE funding unless the Liberal government strikes a powerful probe to fully investigate the troubled air ambulance service.
The Tories say they’ll bring forward the budget motion this Monday. However, they will need support from the New Democrats in order to pull off the drastic move and, so far, the NDP is remaining tight-lipped on which way they’ll turn.
The Liberals were quick to accuse the Conservatives of playing politics with people’s lives over the amendment to the budget bill.
“We want one thing, a select committee to get to the bottom of this scandal,” said PC MPP Frank Klees, who has led the Tory charge in the legislature on the ORNGE scandal.
For months, an all party public-accounts committee has examined ORNGE’s questionable business contracts, web of now-bankrupt for-profit companies, high salaries and odd real estate deals.
After negotiations between the three parties, it was agreed the committee would be allowed to hold hearings throughout the summer. They’d like to hear from ORNGE founder Dr. Chris Mazza. If he is unable to attend due to medical reasons, Klees said he’ll ask Premier Dalton McGuinty to testify.
PC Leader Tim Hudak said the Tory gambit lands the future of ORNGE and its funding squarely in the hands of McGuinty.
“Somebody’s got to stand up and fight for patients,” Hudak said.
“If we want to restore confidence in our air ambulance we need to get to the bottom of this mess and clean it up.”
But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath isn’t convinced this is the right move. She is taking a wait-and-see position on the amendment.
“I don’t think anybody wants to see the ORNGE air ambulance system not be available to patients in Ontario,” she said.
“It’s too important for us to simply make a rash decision. I’m hoping that calmer heads are going to prevail here and that the Liberals are actually going to take a step down in this brinkmanship game they’re having with the Tories on the select committee.”
Reaction from the Liberal government was swift. They were quick to dismiss the motion as ludicrous as it would leave the province without emergency air ambulance service.
“I can’t believe it,” said Health Minister Deb Matthews. “I can’t believe they’d use patients as pawns with this issue. I just can’t believe they want to fire all the pilots, fire all the paramedics and prevent people from getting the care they need. I think this is a new low.”
The Star has been publishing an ongoing series on ORNGE that has, so far, led to the removal of the air ambulance’s management and board, a new accountability structure, a scathing report by the provincial auditor general and a criminal investigation.
Klees said the NDP and PC’s are “frustrated” about the Liberal’s refusal to call a broader inquiry into the scandal.
“We have only one option left and we are using it in defence of patients, we are using it in defence of front-line paramedics and pilots and people working at ORNGE,” Klees said.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Tanya Talaga
The Tories say they’ll bring forward the budget motion this Monday. However, they will need support from the New Democrats in order to pull off the drastic move and, so far, the NDP is remaining tight-lipped on which way they’ll turn.
The Liberals were quick to accuse the Conservatives of playing politics with people’s lives over the amendment to the budget bill.
“We want one thing, a select committee to get to the bottom of this scandal,” said PC MPP Frank Klees, who has led the Tory charge in the legislature on the ORNGE scandal.
For months, an all party public-accounts committee has examined ORNGE’s questionable business contracts, web of now-bankrupt for-profit companies, high salaries and odd real estate deals.
After negotiations between the three parties, it was agreed the committee would be allowed to hold hearings throughout the summer. They’d like to hear from ORNGE founder Dr. Chris Mazza. If he is unable to attend due to medical reasons, Klees said he’ll ask Premier Dalton McGuinty to testify.
PC Leader Tim Hudak said the Tory gambit lands the future of ORNGE and its funding squarely in the hands of McGuinty.
“Somebody’s got to stand up and fight for patients,” Hudak said.
“If we want to restore confidence in our air ambulance we need to get to the bottom of this mess and clean it up.”
But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath isn’t convinced this is the right move. She is taking a wait-and-see position on the amendment.
“I don’t think anybody wants to see the ORNGE air ambulance system not be available to patients in Ontario,” she said.
“It’s too important for us to simply make a rash decision. I’m hoping that calmer heads are going to prevail here and that the Liberals are actually going to take a step down in this brinkmanship game they’re having with the Tories on the select committee.”
Reaction from the Liberal government was swift. They were quick to dismiss the motion as ludicrous as it would leave the province without emergency air ambulance service.
“I can’t believe it,” said Health Minister Deb Matthews. “I can’t believe they’d use patients as pawns with this issue. I just can’t believe they want to fire all the pilots, fire all the paramedics and prevent people from getting the care they need. I think this is a new low.”
The Star has been publishing an ongoing series on ORNGE that has, so far, led to the removal of the air ambulance’s management and board, a new accountability structure, a scathing report by the provincial auditor general and a criminal investigation.
Klees said the NDP and PC’s are “frustrated” about the Liberal’s refusal to call a broader inquiry into the scandal.
“We have only one option left and we are using it in defence of patients, we are using it in defence of front-line paramedics and pilots and people working at ORNGE,” Klees said.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Tanya Talaga
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