Meant To Serve

More health bargains for Ontarians courtesy of the diligent oversight of provincial Cabinet Ministers in the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty. Are we grateful, we citizens of the province? You bet; we voted Dalton McGuinty in for a third go 'round, didn't we?

And we did that, did we not, despite seeing one hot, smacking billion dollars wasted in the eHealth mess, that gained us nothing. We did that, despite mismanagement of the province's energy needs, with the governing Liberals determining, in their wisdom, to go with alternate energy sources like wind power and solar power grids that never quite made the grade, but cost plenty.

And hey, all those smokestack industry jobs, up in smoke. It's the fault of the Alberta oilsands, for giving Canada a petro dollar, one that has come even with the American greenback, so our exports are not nearly as competitive, and those factory jobs have gone East and elsewhere. That did not stop Dalton McGuinty from signing luscious contracts with public service unions over the past eight years.

And the promises to increase hospital funding for needed infrastructure upgrades and better patient timing promised in the last election by the 'education-and-health-care-premier'? Forgetabout it, we've got that miserable deficit that is threatening our financial status rating by those dastardly bonding companies.

Despite which, there's yet another billion-dollar imbroglio being revealed.

It's the colour of Ornge, and its senior public servants and board members that did very well for themselves - without a by-your-leave, or thank-you to the loyal taxpayers of the province who upped the ante when required. Auditor General Jim McCarter has revealed that the Ornge executives had fun at our expense, without giving us value for funding extracted.

Under the Ornge executive a "real culture of fear and intimidation" was struck among their employees as those at the top of the heap created a nifty little empire for themselves, using $1-billion in government funding and loans. Where does government get $1-billion to proffer helpfully for funding and loans for their preferred recipients? Why ... me and thou!

Schemes galore, a million here, another $9 million there, for private subsidiaries, and all was very well in the Ornge empire, from executives paying themselves truly princely salaries, to receiving kick-backs from helicopter suppliers, and charging rich leasing prices to itself from a subsidiary it sold its own headquarters to, so it could lease it back above market value.

Oh, and the 'charitable foundation' associated with Ornge, that used a $2.9-million fund for nifty bargain motorcycles that came two for $500,000. Out of all this expenditure Ornge managed to provide land ambulance transfers yearly for a measly 15% of the 20,000 taking place. Transferring patients from one hospital to another; big, responsible chore.

For which the former Ornge management team was well compensated, its chief executive hauling home $1.4-million annually. He obviously deserved that stipend for the brilliant decision to purchase seven more helicopters and airplanes than required, flippantly informing the ministry that excess capacity could be used elsewhere.

Ontario's Health Minister is furious that she was so misled by those whom she trusted. "I cannot tell you how disgusted I am when I see people who are entrusted with responsibility in our health care system putting their own interest ahead of the interest of the people they are there to serve."

Right-O, Minister Deb Matthews. Oddly enough, it reflects word-for-word what others are spouting, only they're directing their ire not at those whom you claim to have misled you, but you, yourself:

"We cannot tell you how disgusted we are when we see people entrusted with our health care responsibility indolently allowing others to place their interests before those of the people they are meant to serve."

That portfolio just too onerous for you to keep tabs on everything at once, poor thing?