John Tory fired another pre-election salvo at the Liberal government on Monday over what the provincial Progressive Conservative leader called a waste of millions of dollars on meetings in hotel rooms.
Speaking at a news conference outside the Sutton Place hotel, Tory said Premier Dalton McGuinty's Liberals spent $11 million alone on hotel rooms last year. The amount included $500,000 on meetings at the Toronto hotel last year, even though it's located just across the street from a giant government office complex, Tory added.
"This morning, there are rooms up and down the hall of the government complex here that are empty," Tory told reporters outside the hotel. "And at this very hotel as we're meeting this morning, there's a Ministry of Government Services meeting going on taking up three rooms at the cost of the taxpayers of heaven knows what."
Paul de Zara, press secretary to Minister of Government Services Gerry Phillips, told CBCNews.ca that Tory was inflating the costs of the current meetings at the Sutton Place conference rooms, which were being used — at a total cost of $2,700 — to meet vendors bidding on government contracts.
He said the ministry tried to book rooms in the government complex, where it has previously held 20 similar meetings, but none were available.
"In the past when spaces have been available, we have used them," de Zara said.
The bidding meetings could not be held at the ministry's own offices because of confidentiality concerns, he added.
Last week, Tory decried the government's spending of $695,000 for a professional development retreat for Crown attorneys and judges at two Ontario resorts. Attorney Michael Bryant labelled Tory's criticism of the retreats as "boneheaded," and defended them as legitimate conferences that also boosted the regions' economies.
Spending trims won't include service cuts: Tory
Tory also vowed to cut inefficient government spending, but appeared eager to distance himself from the drastic service cuts made by former Conservative premier Mike Harris in the 1990s.
Tory said he has never raised the spectre of spending cuts, and added the savings can be made by making better use of government space.
"When did I use the words 'service reductions?' Did I use those words this morning?" Tory said when asked about Harris's cuts.
During the news conference, Tory didn't use Harris' name and said he would work co-operatively with public service unions to trim government waste.
"My mission is to be able to demonstrate value to the taxpayers for their money and improve the level of services they have," he said.
But Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said Tory's plan to cut $1.5 billion from the provincial budget and phase out the $2.6-billion health-care tax means there will be cuts similar to those brought in by Harris.
"Mike Harris said he was going to find efficiencies," Sorbara said Monday, adding the former premier started with social assistance and moved on to health care and education.
With files from the Canadian PressRelated
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More Ontario Votes Headlines »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
