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Bringing about a higher level of transparency and accountability in provincial and federal governments to help protect taxpayers from abuse

Bringing about a higher level of transparency and accountability in provincial and federal governments to help protect taxpayers from abuse.

5 disturbing facts that show the system is rigged against America’s middle class 

A recent posting detailed how upper middle class Americans are rapidly losing ground to the one-percenters who averaged $5 million in wealth gains over just three years. It also noted that the global 1% has increased their wealth from $100 trillion to $127 trillion in just three years.

The information came from the Credit Suisse 2014 Global Wealth Databook (GWD), which goes on to reveal much more about the disappearing middle class.

Source: 5 disturbing facts that show the system is rigged against America’s middle class – Salon.com

99 stupid things the government did with your money

For taxpayers concerned with out-of-control government spending, 2012 started on a bright enough note. Last January, the Department of National Defence announced it wanted to buy 20,000 custom-printed stress balls for its staff. Once Defence Minister Peter MacKay caught wind of the plan, he quickly cancelled the contract, calling it an “unnecessary expense of taxpayer money.” Noble words, but it was a brief reprieve. As Maclean’s found once again when researching this project, whether it was Ottawa, the provinces, municipalities or the organizations they oversee, governments couldn’t help themselves when it came to doling out cash. What follows is but a fraction of the foolish, wasteful and blatantly stupid ways governments found to spend taxpayers’ money. To uncover this year’s 99 items we pored over press releases and auditor generals’ reports, sifted through proactive disclosure statements and delved into media databases across the country, ferreting out examples of spending that occurred in 2012 or came to light last year. There will be those who take issue with some items on this list, arguing, for instance, that funding rock concerts boosts the economy. But the reality is that at every level of government, we’re in far worse fiscal shape than we were even a year ago, despite all the talk of cutbacks and austerity. And as this list makes clear, those who control the public purse have yet to really change their ways.

Luxury hotels, hemp body cream and subsidized hip-hop concerts: our second annual list of waste shows spending by all levels of government is still out of control. Find 33 of those stupid things below. And check us out tomorrow to see 33 more stupid things your government did with your money.

Source: 99 stupid things the government did with your money: Part I – Macleans.ca

McCollum urges USDA, GAO to investigate government contracts with Planet Aid, affiliated organizations 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Aug. 17, 2016) — U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN-5) on Wednesday called for the Government Accountability Office and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General to investigate the prominent non-governmental organization Planet Aid and affiliated groups following media reports that allege the groups’ may have misused taxpayer dollars.“I urge you to begin a comprehensive inquiry immediately,” Congresswoman McCollum wrote in a pair of letters to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro and USDA Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong. “I hope that such an investigation will be thorough and draw upon whatever resources are necessary to ensure that the issues surrounding this global organization are fully examined.”

Source: McCollum urges USDA, GAO to investigate government contracts with Planet Aid, affiliated organizations | Asian American Press

Whatever happened to turfing bad governments? 

TORONTO – I used to subscribe to the adage that voters, in their wisdom, are always right.

Once upon a time, voters tossed out arrogant and corrupt governments. They punished politicians who were incompetent and dumped them at election time.

Ever since the 2014 election, where the electorate turned a minority Liberal government into a majority, I’ve changed my mind.

How could well-informed electors possibly reward a government that was under two police investigations (Ornge, deleted gas plant emails) and which had a sorry legacy of trampling any criticism of their mismanagement?

Source: Whatever happened to turfing bad governments? | Blizzard | Ontario | News | Toronto Sun

Home Office wastes £1.9m on ‘phantom’ deportations for failed asylum seekers

The government wasted £1.9 million on “phantom” deportations last year by booking seats on planes for failed asylum seekers who then never showed up.The bill, which was incurred by the Home Office under Theresa May’s watch, was higher than at any time in the previous three years.The seats were booked when someone failed to be granted asylum but then left empty after the person in question launched an appeal.

Source: Home Office wastes £1.9m on ‘phantom’ deportations for failed asylum seekers THE TELEGRAPH

Three Charged in $1 Billion Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Scheme

Last Friday the Justice Department charged a Miami-area healthcare operator, a hospital administrator, and a physician’s assistant with conspiracy involving submitting fraudulent bills to Medicare and Medicaid exceeding, for the first time, $1 billion.The three included Philip Esformes, the owner of more than 30 Miami-area nursing and assisted-living facilities, hospital administrator Odette Barcha, and physician assistant Arnald Carmouze. They were charged with money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and receiving kickbacks, along with other charges.The conspiracy had been going on for 14 years, and came to a end with the help of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF), which began investigating healthcare fraud in March 2007. Since that time, nearly 3,000 defendants, including doctors, nurses, physicians’ assistants, hospital administrators, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers have been charged with bilking Medicare for more than $10 billion.

Source: Three Charged in $1 Billion Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Scheme THE NEW AMERICAN

Release task force report on sexual assaults by doctors

It’s hard to believe the opinion of a single lawyer is holding up the release of a crucially important provincial task force report that shines a spotlight on the sexual abuse of patients by doctors and recommends ways to better protect the public. But it’s true.

The report, paid for with public funds after public hearings, has been gathering dust at Queen’s Park since March after lawyer Douglas Harrison of Stikeman Elliott found it to be defamatory, though other lawyers consulted by the province did not raise that concern.

Harrison said it “impugns all of the health profession colleges in Ontario, taking a broad-brush approach to accuse all of them of . . . turning a blind eye to sexual abuse and failing to appropriately discipline professionals.”

Source: Release task force report on sexual assaults by doctors: Editorial | Toronto Star

Trudeau government spending millions on digital ads

The federal government has spent millions on online advertising since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power and is getting increasingly sophisticated in its ability to target its messages to Canadians.

A study by iPolitics of 682 pages of documents tabled recently in the House of Commons reveals that government departments spent more than $3.3 million between the time Trudeau’s government was sworn in and April 22, 2016. Of that amount, Google pocketed $1 million, with government promotions for everything from getting Canadians to help support Syrian refugees to recruiting candidates for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Government departments also “liked” Facebook, spending more than $904,822 to get their message out on the popular social media platform during that time frame. Yahoo was next at $406,920 followed by Twitter at $364,090. The government also spent more than $161,847 on YouTube, $96,051 on Bing and $17,608 on advertising on Huffington Post.

Source: Trudeau government spending millions on digital ads IPOLITICS

Ontario doctors challenge ruling that would identify top OHIP billers 

The Ontario Medical Association is seeking to overturn a landmark decision by the province’s privacy commissioner to release the names of top-billing doctors.

In addition, a group of about 40 doctors and one physician acting alone who are on the list have made separate applications for a judicial review of an order from the privacy commissioner to release to the Toronto Star the identities of the top 100 billers.

The three parties filed applications this week with the province’s divisional court to quash the ruling made June 1 by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

Source: Ontario doctors challenge ruling that would identify top OHIP billers | Toronto Star

Health ministry ordered to disclose names on OHIP billings 

The province’s privacy commission has ordered the health ministry to release the names of doctors along with their OHIP billings, in the interests of transparency and accountability.

The decision comes two years after the Star began requesting physician-identified billings from the health ministry, and brings the province more in line with other jurisdictions that are opting to disclose public funds paid to doctors.

In granting an appeal from the Toronto Star, John Higgins, an adjudicator with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, said physician-identified billings are not “personal information” and are, therefore, not exempt from disclosure under the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Source: Health ministry ordered to disclose names on OHIP billings | Toronto Star