CHRISTINE ELLIOTT, M.P.P. Whitby-Oshawa

For Immediate Release
February 26, 2008

MCGUINTY LIBERALS MUST CLOSE LEGAL AID LOOPHOLES: ELLIOTT
PC Justice Critic says Ombudsman’s recommendations must be implemented immediately

(Toronto, ON) - Progressive Conservative Justice Critic Christine Elliott today urged Dalton McGuinty and his Attorney General Chris Bentley to immediately implement Ombudsman Andre Marin’s recommendations and halt any future abuse of legal aid funds.

“Today’s report from the Ombudsman is just one more example of Ontario’s broken justice system. The McGuinty Liberals must act immediately to close a loophole that rewards judicial hackers like Richard Wills with taxpayer money,” said Elliott. “As the Ombudsman said today, this is a band-aid solution. The McGuinty Liberals must immediately introduce legislation to clarify the responsibilities of Legal Aid and make them legally binding.”

Elliott made the comments after Marin’s report today found that taxpayers footed over $1 million in legal costs for Richard Wills, a man who was previously turned down by Legal Aid because of his wealth. The Ombudsman’s investigation found that Wills divested assets to deliberately impoverish himself in order to be applicable for Legal Aid.

If implemented, Marin’s recommendations would end the ambiguity surrounding the relationship between the Legal Aid Office (LAO) and the Ministry of the Attorney General. He also recommended that the Ministry take the necessary steps required to “get some of the wasted money back – and to deter others from abusing the system the same way.”

“It’s reasonable to say that good use of the government’s time could also be spent investigating what other assets Mr. Wills may have hidden and putting in place mechanisms to track down finances in other cases of self-imposed impoverishment such as this,” said Elliott. “The McGuinty Liberals need to take these recommendations seriously – it’s a matter of accountability to protect Ontario taxpayer dollars.”

Marin said that the LAO has agreed to implement all of his recommendations, but that the Ministry of the Attorney General has been “non-committal” and expressed concern that there is “no sense of urgency” on their part.

“The McGuinty Liberals can’t treat this as a one-off situation; they can’t pretend that a simple protocol has solved the problem,” said Elliott. “The government’s first priority should be protecting Ontarians’ money to make sure this never happens again. We need a government that respects taxpayer dollars, respects the rule of law and restores faith in the justice system.”

-30-

For more information:
Christine Elliott
MPP Whitby-Oshawa
(905) 430-1141