The opposition is accusing the Ford government of favouritism with a skills development training fund.
Ontario’s Auditor General found that a majority of applicants who received funding scored lower in evaluations by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development staff than those who did not get approved.
The audit found that 549 applications received $742 million, or 56% of total funding.
Another 670 applications that ranked higher were not selected, but there was little rationale as to why.
Shelley Spence says the selection process was not fair, transparent or accountable.
“There were enough high-ranking ones to actually use up the funds, and we found that the KPIs (key performance indicators) on the high-ranking ones do better,” says Spence.
“So from a value for money point of view, it’s probably better to be picking the high ranking ones and not the low ranking ones.”
Some of the proponents approved also used the services of lobbyists and consultants and received $126 million in funding.
The opposition is critical of the selection process.
NDP leader Marit (MAR-it) Stiles says the Premier has disrespected workers needing training.
“Every single dollar should be going to workers and employers who invest in training people for good unionized jobs,” says Stiles.
“But instead, Doug Ford is taking money away from those same workers. He has used this multi-billion dollar fund to exchange favours with insiders and hand out cash to the same folks that we see popping up over and over and over again.”
The Leader of the Legislature for the Liberal Party, John Fraser, compares the government’s handling of the training fund to its efforts to carve up the greenbelt for housing.
” You’ve seen this story play before in the greenbelt. The deeper we dig, the more we’re going to find out. And a minister, somebody will have to take responsibility,” says Fraser.
Spence makes four recommendations; she says the ministry has accepted.
