The Conservatives have made it much harder to get basic information about what they’re up to.
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Who are they giving money to, and for what purpose?
In this climate of secrecy, the work of the Auditor General is extremely important because the office has the power to dive deep and thoroughly investigate the work of government and the agencies and sectors that are regulated by the government.
The Auditor General released four new reports yesterday, and they are damning.
Here’s what we learned:
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Children left behind, bills not paid
The report on the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) examined how effectively the Office enforced child and spousal support orders and accurately accounted for and disbursed court‑ordered payments.
The audit found that families waited eight and a half months, on average, for a court order to be registered and for recipients to receive their first support payment through FRO.
The report also found that families with active cases were owed almost $2.1B in support payments from the other parent, and the FRO had failed to take steps to have those payments transferred.
What this report is telling us is the Family Responsibility Office is failing in many instances on its mandate to ensure that parents who are owed child support, receive the child support in a timely manner.
We know who suffers the most when child support isn’t paid? Children.
When child support isn’t paid there’s less money for groceries, rent, clothing, and childcare.
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Training, oversight needed to keep roads safe
The Large Commercial Truck Driver Licensing report examined whether Ontario's systems provide adequate oversight of large commercial vehicle driver training, testing, and licensing.
Our Northern MPPs regularly share horror stories about the safety of northern roads, of poorly trained truck drivers not being able to use air brakes or back up a truck, of families dying in preventable head on collisions, and of major highways being closed for up to 50 days a year because of infrequent snow removal.
The Auditor General found that large commercial trucks accounted for 12% of vehicles involved in fatal collisions in Ontario from 2019 to 2023, despite representing only 3% of vehicles on the road.
The audit found that some students at registered private career colleges obtained training without completing all mandatory training hours and elements, and the government has never inspected 25% of these private career colleges that offer training.
The report found that DriveTest Centres are not always rigorously testing drivers, are not restricting drivers with past infractions from receiving a licence or requiring a waiting period after obtaining a Class G licence.
To keep our roads safe, the Ontario NDP is calling for proper training and testing of truck drivers, the twinning of major highways, and effective snow clearing services.
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Special Education Needs not being met
Every single student has a right to education, but under the Conservatives, too many children are not having their learning needs met.
I regularly hear from parents who are directed by principals to keep their child at home because there isn’t staff available to support them in the classroom. I also hear from parents who are worried their child is falling behind in a large class, and their support plan is ignored.
The Special Education Needs report examined whether the Ministry and school boards have adequate procedures to ensure special education programs and services fulfill those students' needs.
The audit found that many students waited months for specialist assessments, with about one third of students waiting for over a year to be formally assessed.
There was an absence of standard criteria and guidelines for identifying and supporting students.
Individual education plans often lacked measurable goals, were not sufficiently individualized, and did not consistently document input from parents or guardians.
Educational assistant absences and vacancies went unfilled by a qualified substitute between 49% and 72% of the time, reducing available instruction and support.
The audit found that students with special needs were sometimes sent home, or asked to stay home, without formally tracking the number, documentation, or rationale.
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Unsecure, inaccurate use of Artificial Intelligence in the Ontario Government
The report on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Ontario Government examined how AI systems are being used across the Ontario Public Service (OPS).
The audit found public servants were accessing unsafe and unsecured AI websites, creating risks of potential unauthorized data exposure. Only three percent of OPS staff completed the responsible use of AI training, and it is not mandatory.
The OPS-approved generative AI tool, which provides a secure environment for data, was used 6% of the time that staff made use of generative AI.
The report also identified weaknesses in procurement practices, including limited validation of vendor testing, as well as security assessment reports, bias testing, and live demonstrations of the AI Scribe systems for health care.
What next?
As a member of the public accounts committee, my job is to work with the Auditor General to work with the government and ministries to address these issues.
Jessica Bell
MPP, University-Rosedale