It keeps getting better: AG report puts Liberals on the hot seat

You scratch mine. I’ll scratch yours.

That’s the short version of provincial Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s report on taxpayer money funnelled to some teacher unions.

Lysyk concluded that, going back to 2000, the government has given teachers’ unions more than $80 million. Of that, $22 million was given in 2006, with no strings attached. Some of the money was used for professional development. Except isn’t it up to school boards to do professional development? Some paid for union negotiating expenses.

Lysyk noted that the province does not subsidize the bargaining expenses of other large public sector unions.

“Indeed, some taxpayers might reasonably ask why public money went to unions instead of being used for services for all Ontarians,” Lysyk said. “They might also question whether government subsidies actually prolong negotiations, by reducing the financial incentive of unions to reach settlements as soon as possible.”

Was this a giant slush fund in return for all the support the Liberals received from the powerful teacher unions every election?  (more...)

AG report puts Liberals on the hot seat

Background:

‘Ontario is an outlier’: Auditor General finds little precedent for $3.8-million payouts to teachers’ unions