Ford's Fake News - Fact Check - March 15, 2018

He claimed: “There are a lot of sole-source deals in there that are officially driving up the hydro costs.”

Fact: The vast majority of renewable energy projects across the province were competitively sourced.

For example, 103 proposals were received through Large Renewable Procurement and just 16 contracts were executed with successful applicants.

(Source: http://www.ieso.ca/sector-participants/energy-procurement-programs-and-contracts/large-renewable-procurement)

He claimed: “On the health front, Ford said he’s assembled a team of health professionals … to look at the issue of improving wait times.”

Fact: According to the Fraser Institute and the Wait Time Alliance Ontario already has some of the shortest wait times in Canada.

In the Fraser Institute’s 2017 report, Waiting Your Turn, they found that Ontario has the best median wait times in the country; four weeks better than the second best province. We’re also one of only two provinces in Canada to improve our wait times from 2016 to 2017.

(Source: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/waiting-your-turn-wait-times-for-health-care-in-canada-2017)

He claimed: “All the procurement adds up to a tremendous amount, we can drive costs down 15 per cent.”

Fact: The government already does joint competitive procurement across every ministry through the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

Here are some examples of savings that have already been achieved through this process:

• $80M from mobile devices and services,
• $14M print services,
• $4M for IT security products; and
• $3M for laboratory supplies.

(Source: Ministry of Government and Consumer Services)

Ford claimed: “Let me be clear: No one is getting laid off”

Fact: Independent economist Mike Moffatt estimates the cuts in the Conservative platform will result in “approximately 40,000 fewer Ontarians working as teachers, nurses, doctors and university professors than there otherwise would be”.

(Source: http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/to-balance-ontarios-budget-without-a-carbon-tax-the-pcs-will-need-deep-cuts-to-spending-and-jobs/)

Fact: From 2011 to 2012, operating positions at the City of Toronto decreased by 1,411. This includes less positions at the Affordable Housing Office, Toronto Public Health, and Long Term Care Home and Services.

(Source: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/8ca2-operating_summary.pdf, pg. 46)

Ford claimed: “On education, administration could be shared and trimmed, and boards could cut costs through shared procurement”

Fact: School boards in Ontario already have joint competitive procurement.

In fact on page 615 of the recent Auditor General’s report, she praised the current process:

“On a positive note, school boards have been increasing their use of group purchasing arrangements to acquire goods and services, which should result in cost savings. For instance, we noted that the value of school board purchases acquired through supplier agreements negotiated by the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace increased from $10 million in 2010 to $112 million. By December 2016, 71 of the 72 school boards in Ontario were participating in this group purchasing plan.”

(Source: http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en17/v1_312en17.pdf)

He claimed: “All the procurement adds up to a tremendous amount, we can drive costs down 15 per cent.”

Fact: The government already does joint competitive procurement across every ministry through the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

Here are some examples of savings that have already been achieved through this process:

• $80M from mobile devices and services,
• $14M print services,
• $4M for IT security products; and
• $3M for laboratory supplies.

(Source: Ministry of Government and Consumer Services)