The Ford government is reportedly moving some ServiceOntario outlets into Staples Canada locations, aiming to save an estimated $900,000 over three years by not paying leasing costs. However, Minister Todd McCarthy has refused to release the business case for the plan and now claims Staples is getting $1.75 million for retrofit costs. McCarthy claimed that the cost-savings would be realized because the government won’t be paying for leases or retrofits, but the government doesn’t pay any of those costs to the independent operators being shut down.
The Liberals have requested the province’s Financial Accountability Office to provide analysis of the government’s recent decision to award contracts without a competitive bidding process to Staples and Walmart, to privatize parts of Service Ontario. The Green Party and the NDP are calling on the Ford government to release the business case for the Staples deal.
Tom Rakocevic, NDP critic for Consumer Protection, said the press conference with McCarthy raised more questions than it answered. He called for transparency on the “dubious Staples deal” and called for the government to come clean about why they are using taxpayer dollars to help Staples and Walmart with their bottom lines.
Source: CBC
Source: City News
Source: Government of Ontario
