QUEENS PARK – Prince Edward Hastings MPP Todd Smith, who also serves as PC Party critic for the Pan Am Games, questioned Minister Michael Coteau in the Standing Committee on Estimates today about his ministry's long repeated claim that the games are both on time and on budget. Minister Coteau refused to acknowledge that the games are over budget or behind schedule despite awarding a $74 million bailout to the TO2015 Organizing Committee on September 23rd, 2014.
“It's easy to kick a field goal if you can move the goalposts to wherever the ball lands,” said Smith. “The Ontario taxpayer deserves more credit than this, you don't just give out an extra $74 million in taxpayer money if you're on budget.”
With this refusal to acknowledge obvious overspending, suspicions were raised that bonuses contingent on the games coming in on budget and on schedule will still be paid to 63 Pan Am Games Committee executives. These bonuses will total $7 million and in many cases are the equivalent of up to 50 per cent of an executive's annual pay.
“I've never heard of a business, organization, or even government that would pay out bonuses for failing to meet the requirements of the bonus,” said Smith. “Only this Liberal Government would award $7 million to a group of people who failed to do their job properly.”
The bonuses are also dependent on the venues for the Games being ready on time. However, TO2015 CEO Saad Rafi already adapted this definition during the briefing on September 23rd by claiming their self-imposed deadlines do not count and, instead, the venues only have to be ready for Day 1 of competition. This change in definition came just days after Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton opened over two months behind schedule.
“Go to Hamilton and ask the people there if the football stadium was delivered on time,” said Smith. “These undeserved bonuses are just another example of this Liberal Government's terrible fiscal management overshadowing our Canadian athletes.”
CONTACT: Jamie Hofing, Jamie.Hofing@pc.ola.org
