HARDEMAN TABLES MOTION TO END MISUSE OF SOCIAL HOUSING MONEY

For Immediate Release

May 24, 2016

HARDEMAN TABLES MOTION TO END MISUSE OF SOCIAL HOUSING MONEY

WOODSTOCK – Ernie Hardeman, Oxford MPP, tabled a motion on Thursday May 19 calling on the government to move forward his private members bill, the Housing Services Corporation Accountability Act, to stop the misuse of social housing money by this rogue agency.

“Millions of dollars intended for social housing have been wasted or misused, but this government will not move forward on this bill to stop it,” said Hardeman. “Since the government has refused to act, I am once again bringing debate on the misspending at the Housing Services Corporation before the Legislature.”

Hardeman introduced the private members bill after he discovered that executives at the Housing Services Corporation had been using money intended for social housing to travel the world and invest in questionable for-profit subsidiaries that resulted in substantial losses. The bill would allow the Auditor General to review Housing Services Corporation’s expenses and require salaries to be posted on the sunshine list. The bill would also allow housing providers to purchase natural gas and insurance at the best price rather than being forced to buy them through Housing Services Corporation at inflated prices.

“While this government has been delaying the bill we discovered more in misuse of taxpayers’ dollars by the Housing Services Corporation, including a luxury 7-day vacation package in South Africa plus over $5,000 for business class airfare.” said Hardeman.

The motion follows Hardeman’s open letter to the Government House Leader asking him to hold committee hearings on the bill and call it for third reading. Hardeman pointed out that the Legislative Committee on Social Policy had met 35 times since his bill was referred there, but the government had chosen not to move the Housing Services Corporation Accountability Act forward.

The motion will be debated in the Legislature on Thursday June 2.

“Every dollar that Housing Services Corporation spends is a public dollar that was intended to go to social housing,” said Hardeman. “Passing this bill would ensure that all of that money is spent wisely and can no longer go to world travel and empire building by the executives at Housing Services Corporation.”

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For more information, contact:

Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford

(416) 325-1239

 

Ernie Hardeman’s motion reads:

That, in the opinion of this House, the Standing Committee on Social Policy should conduct public hearings on Bill 74, the Housing Services Corporation Accountability Act, and refer the bill back to the House as soon as possible, given that the Legislature unanimously gave this bill second reading over a year ago, and that the House should conduct 3rd reading without delay.