Gamblor’s World

Gambling Grits deny allegations, say gaming plan not finished

Telegraph-Journal, Wednesday June 27th, 2007

A mystery source, a document that may or may not exist, and the possibility that New Brunswick’s gambling scene is set to rival that of the Las Vegas strip dominated talk at the provincial legislature Tuesday.

Gambling became an unlikely topic of debate as the Opposition Conservatives alleged to have secured the Liberal government’s as-yet-unreleased gaming plan for the province.

Woodstock MLA David Alward claimed a government source had leaked portions of the document, which he says includes a plan for 45 mini casinos - following a removal of video lottery terminals from 550 local bars.

But Finance Minister Victor Boudreau was quick to dismiss the allegations.

“This is amazing. We are truly toward the end of the (legislative) session when we see the quality of questions coming from the Opposition. This is totally fabricated information,” he retorted during the afternoon question period.

“I do not know who the Opposition member’s source is, but it is totally fabricated.”

continued …..

Jun 27, 2007 03:00 PM, Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

Ontario government agencies and ministries are still “over-promising and under-delivering” to the people who pay their salaries, says provincial Ombudsman Andre Marin.

In his annual report to the Legislature delivered this morning, Marin lamented what he called a troubling trend in government.

“Puffery is antithetical to open and transparent government, corrosive of public trust and even harmful to meaningful democracy,” said the independent watchdog.

Marin singled out for criticism the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Family Responsibility Office, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, among others.