Executives with eHealth Canada paid a team of consultants $300 an hour to design business cards, CTV Toronto has learned.
At least three consultants were paid to help order business cards and to help with an "approach to new business cards," according to a bill filed in December.
Another bill sent out on December 8 charged taxpayers for processing the order for the business cards and yet another bill a week later charged citizens for "revising a message to all staff on new business cards."
However, the bill that has Opposition parties shaking their heads was a bill drafted by a consultant who charged taxpayers for the time she spent writing up her bills to the taxpayer.
"They've taken the taxpayer to the cleaners," said New Democrat MPP Peter Kormos. "These guys invoiced the taxpayer for preparing the invoice for the taxpayer. This is beyond outrageous. If it weren't so sad it would be funny and silly."
Tim Hudak, the newly elected leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party said he had one of his staff members design his business cards instead of relying on a team of pricey consultants.
Ontario's auditor general is currently probing eHealth's accounting books. The provincial organization, tasked with filing medical records online, came under fire after it was revealed that executives did not put contracts out to tender but instead granted pricey agreements to friends and supporters of the Liberal party.
The auditor general's report is expected to be completed by the fall.
With files from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss
