NDP calls on Elections Ontario to investigate Ford government contract with private health-care company
Elections Ontario is being asked to investigate a private health-care company whose corporate directors made a series of donations to the Progressive Conservative party weeks before the company was awarded a sole-sourced contract to run vaccine clinics in the province.
Ontario's NDP wrote a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa asking him to probe 17 "potentially coordinated donations" made by the corporate directors and family members of FH Health -- a private firm that was tapped by the Doug Ford government to run 10 vaccine clinics in the Greater Toronto Area.
The NDP is calling into question $42,600 worth of contributions over the month of September to the Ontario PC party of amounts ranging from $1,000 to $3,300 made by the President, Director, Chair and Chief Medical Officer of FH Health and several others who share family or business connections with the company's directors.
"When you've got executives making the maximum donation, and their family members making the maximum donation all around the same time, that isn't just a fluke, that's not just a coincidence," said NDP MPP Taras Natyshak.
Natyshak says the donations might have broken Ontario's election financing laws which forbids corporations from funneling money to political parties through individual donors and prevents a party from knowingly accepting false contributions.
The NDP has also asked Ontario's Auditor General to investigate the deal between the government and FH health.
The Ford government, however, is denying any quid pro quo saying that FH Health won a contract in 2021 to run mobile testing clinics in the province and already had an "existing relationship with Ontario Health" before the scope of the contract was expanded.
"The Ministry of the Solicitor General entered into an emergency procurement with FH Health to establish additional vaccine clinics – to urgently accelerate boosters for education workers before the return of in-person learning – as they already had physical capacity and Health Human Resources supports in place," said Stephen Warner, a spokesperson for Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.
The government also pointed out that three of the corporate directors also made donations to the Ontario Liberal party between 2018 and 2021, including donations made to Steven Del Duca's leadership campaign.
While FH Health has not responded to emails from CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Queen's Park Today, which initially reported news of the donations.
“Individuals, in their personal capacity, may have chosen to donate to political parties on all sides over the years. In every case they have done so on their own and most certainly not at the behest or suggestion of the company,” the company told the publication.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.