TORONTO -- Ontario’s Auditor General will not open a stand-alone investigation into the cancellation of wind farm contracts, despite a request from the NDP to probe the $231 million cost.
Bonnie Lysyk told CTV News Toronto her office “already looked at the costs associated with the cancellation of the contracts” when the government tabled the 2018-2019 public accounts earlier this year.
Public accounts is a ledger of government spending over the past fiscal year and the financial statements are subject to an audit by Lysyk’s office.
Lysyk said her audit looked at all of the “big contracts” and a sample of smaller green energy deals to determine whether the government’s “calculations are reasonable.”
“Based on the review of the contracts and estimates of the payment, I find the audit to be clean,” Lysyk told CTV News Toronto.
Ontario’s New Democrats asked Lysyk to investigate the true cost of the cancellation of 750 contracts after learning that the government set aside $231 million for break fees, despite initially claiming it would cost “nothing.”
Lysyk cautioned that her audit is “based on information available at the time” and that she will continue to examine the costs on a yearly basis.
While Lysyk declined the NDP’s request for an examination, she said she would be bound to launch a financial probe under a certain set of circumstances.
The Auditor General Act stipulates that Lysyk can undertake a “special assignment” if she was directed to do so by a majority of MPPs in the legislature or a minister of the crown.
On Monday, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath challenged Premier Doug Ford to call in the auditor to back up the government’s assertion that cancelling the contracts would save ratepayers $790-million.
“The premier says the costs won’t climb higher. Why should anyone take the Premier’s word?” Horwath charged during Monday’s Question Period.
“Call in the auditor. Call in the auditor.”
Ford responded by saying he was “proud” of cancelling the contracts and, if given a second chance, would cancel them again.
“If we could cancel another $790 million and save the taxpayers... I’ll do that all day long,” Ford said.
