In his first column for Trillium, Ontario’s former auditor general called for more transparency in government decision-making, especially when the private sector is involved.
This opinion column originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website dedicated to covering local politics in Queen’s Park.
when trillium When I was asked to write a column, I thought twice before accepting the responsibility.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that as a former Ontario Auditor General, with a deep understanding of the inner workings of government, its various programs, and how government decisions are made, trilliumprovides thought-provoking comments to our readers.
In this first column, I would like to consider how vitally important it is that government decisions are based on reliable, objective and comprehensive information. Throughout her 10 years as Ontario’s independent legislative auditor, it was clear that the government too often made decisions without checking that the underlying information supported them. The recent greenbelt scenario comes to mind as an example, and most Ontarians agree that the decision to open up certain areas of the greenbelt to a select few land developers falls into this category. I think it is.
As Abraham Lincoln said, democracy is rule “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” In our context, this means that Ontarians who elect their provincial government have a right to expect that every decision is made to make the province a better place to live. . I believe in the old adage that the only report card that really matters is whether a government leaves office in better shape than it was when it was first elected.
The key for governments to maintain public trust after elections is transparency about how decisions are made, especially when they affect the delivery and cost of public services. This problem has become more difficult in Ontario as traditional government services have evolved from being provided directly by the government to being provided by the private sector or in partnership with the private sector. During my decade as Auditor General, governments seemed increasingly unwilling to voluntarily release background information on such decisions and the associated costs.
When this issue arises, private sector confidentiality considerations are frequently cited as explanations, preempting the public sector fundamental principle of transparency. Lost in this explanation is the fact that taxpayer dollars are being used to fund policy decisions that are supposed to benefit Ontarians.
As shareholders in government, Ontarians have a right to know how decisions are made and how much they cost. When private sector entities obtain taxpayer funds or benefit economically from government decisions, shouldn’t they also accept financial and decision-making transparency to the public who pays the bills?
There are undoubtedly situations in which the people of the state do not understand the issues being discussed and the government resorts to personal attacks on individuals who raise constructive concerns. Comments are made to obfuscate the issue rather than directly answering a legitimate question. A look at Question Time at Queen’s Park provides many examples of this.
Opposition parties, the public, and the media spend considerable time and effort trying to understand how and why certain decisions were made. This also affects the image of the public and wider public sector staff and bodies, as unexplained or questionable decisions can call into question their work and expertise in advising government. affect.
Recent examples where many questions have been asked but not answered directly or completely include the Greenbelt, construction delays and costs around Eglinton Crosstown, the construction of Highway 413, and Service Ontario. Exclusive procurement of contracts, the use of ministerial zoning orders, strategies for financial stability beyond the secondary sector, the government’s overall environmental strategy, human resource strategies for the public health sector, private sector health care, to name a few. expansion, decisions affecting Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre, and more. some.
Unanswered questions remain, resulting in a number of Freedom of Information requests being filed by opposition parties, media and other stakeholders in an attempt to obtain information that could shed more light on government actions and decisions. It became.
Abraham Lincoln also said that an important aspect of an effective democracy is the ability of the opposition, the people and their organizations, and the media to hold the government accountable and to continue questioning the elected government until the facts are known. I think you would agree with that. And they were clearly spelled out for the benefit of the people who elected them. And kudos to those who do!
Bonnie Lysik is a research fellow at the CD Howe Institute and a former auditor general of Ontario and former auditor general of Saskatchewan.