Nickel Belt MPP and NDP Health and Long-Term Care Critic France Gélinas’ motion calling on the Auditor General to launch a special probe into consultant contracts at hospitals and Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) passed this morning.

Gélinas is the NDP’s member on the Public Accounts Committee. Today, the Committee is hearing from officials at eHealth Ontario, the Ministry of Health and the Auditor General on his recent report on the eHealth scandal.

Gélinas won unanimous support from the all-party committee on her motion that reads:

“I move that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts immediately request that the Auditor General at his discretion conduct spot audits on the use of consultants by the Ministry of Health, the fourteen LHINs, and Ontario's hospitals.”

“The people of Ontario have witnessed millions upon millions of tax dollars going out the door at eHealth Ontario in untendered contracts to consultants without any accountability and little in the way of results,” Gélinas said.

“Going forward, we need to make sure that valuable health care dollars are spent on patient care and that is why we need the Auditor to probe consultant contracts across the entire Ministry of Health.”

Gélinas noted it is especially important given the healthcare cuts that are already happening across the province.

“Our health care system cannot afford money being wasted on questionable consultant contracts. We need an investigation to ensure this kind of waste never happens again,” she said.