ON - “Tory gambling on inquiry into OLG”
Sun, March 25, 2007, By IAN ROBERTSON, SUN MEDIA, London Free Press
TORONTO — Conservative leader John Tory blasted the premier and his Liberal government yesterday for “weak leadership” over alleged fraud by its $6 billion-a-year lottery agency.
Tory is gambling Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin’s report will uphold his demands for an outside investigation into the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.
Tory accused the agency and Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government of making recently-departed OLG president Duncan Brown “the fall guy.”
In a statement Friday, the OLG said its board and Brown had reached a mutual deal for a change of leadership, but Tory said he does not accept the government’s reasons for making the former OLG boss “walk the plank.”
He said Brown’s deal to leave his $360,000-a-year job was made mid-week — due to pressure by the media and Marin.
“They haven’t told us whether he was fired or walked out,” Tory said, adding the value of any settlement to the ex-OLG boss should also be disclosed.
“This is a multibillion-dollar organization that is out of control.
“The public has a right to know if they are to retain confidence in the games being played,” he said. “They don’t expect to win every time, but they expect fairness.
“I’ll be asking Mr. McGuinty for an explanation Monday,” said Tory, who admitted occasionally buying lottery tickets when prizes are over $10 million, but “I’ve never won more than a free ticket.”
The report by Marin — ex-head of the province’s Special Investigations Unit — is due out tomorrow.
