25 January 2012
Counting the Cost?
Miller calls on McGuinty government to release details on cost of Pan-Am Games

HAMILTON—As the MPP for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek and the NDP Sports Critic I have called on the McGuinty government to immediately publish updated financial numbers for the Pan American Games rather than making claims with no evidence to back them up.

My concerns are well founded in the many projects – like e-health – that the Liberal Government let run millions of dollars over budget, while spurning the efforts of many persons and organisations to get the true numbers. Like you, I remember all too well, the debacle of the Montreal Olympics and the hollow promises that everything was on track. A track that led to years of debt paid by taxpayers.

And I’m not alone; just a few weeks ago, Olympic icon Paul Henderson was sounding the alarm bells that the Pan Am Games are going over-budget. But, repeatedly, our calls for transparency are being hushed with the Liberal Government’s unsubstantiated assurances that everything is fine. If everything is fine, then why is the McGuinty government refusing to open the books to the public to prove that what they’re saying is true? We need full transparency, not vague, unsubstantiated assurances.

Transparency is needed not only for all finances, its also essential for the bidding process. We have raised concerns about the tendering process for the Games site in Caledon, where it was reported in the Caledon Enterprise, that relatives of senior Games staff are alleged to own adjacent properties to selected sites. Also other bidders for this site have raised concerns that their bids were actually a much better value than the winning bid. To know if that’s accurate, we need to have all bids assessed by an independent, external audit, like the Auditor General of Ontario.

Rather than secrecy and promises, the government needs to release updated, fully substantiated figures today. With so many questions being raised about the progress and budget of the Pan Am games, surely it makes sense to reassure Ontarians – with some solid proof – that the games are on the right financial path.

The last time financial information for the Pan American Games was updated was in 2009. New figures have been promised in the coming months but we are still waiting to find out when that will be.

With the Games venues selected for Hamilton, I am especially concerned that we have complete transparency in every aspect of the processes – bidding and real financial reports. I don’t want one dollar to be paid out of taxpayers pockets to cover any excessive costs of these Games.

Regular reporting and regular publicly reported audits by the Auditor General of Ontario are the only way to go. We don’t want any surprises or shocks after the games are finished, only great memories and useable, accessible Pan and Parapan American Games venues ready for use by everyday Ontarians.

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Media Contact: Paul Miller (416) 325-0707

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