As taxpayers in Ontario we support the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act of 1996 that ensures the annual publication of the Sunshine List. The Sunshine List ensures transparency, openness and accountability to Ontarians.

The Government of Ontario employs private fee for service workers / contractors / consultants to augment its workforce. Fee For Service Consultants perform  the same duties as their Public Service counterparts but are paid far more yet their billings are largely hidden from easy public view and scrutiny. By not presenting Fee for Service Consultant billing in an open and transparent way to the taxpayer the government unwittingly perpetuates the previous government’s lack of transparency, openness and accountability.

Publishing a Fee For Service  Sunshine List the current government will be strengthening  the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act while also increasing transparency, openness and accountability.

The recent Ontario court of appeal decision to end the secrecy of payments to Ontario’s top-billing doctors, presents a  legal precedent for a Fee For Service Sunshine List.

Given the above we urge you to do two things -

 1. Sign this petition
 2. Please lobby your local MPP by copying the template letter below, then signing it and mailing (snail mail only) or handing it in-person to your MPP. Note: As per the rules of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, only petitions with the original signatures are accepted by the assembly.

---- Petition Template for your MPP--------------

To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

Whereas: The annual publication of the Sunshine List, in compliance with the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act of 1996 supports openness, transparency and accountability to the people of Ontario the Act is limited to publishing data on public servants earning salaries of a $100,000 or more.

Whereas: The Public Sector augments it’s workforce with private contractors, also known as Fee For Service Consultants / Contractors . The majority of these Fee For Service Consultants / Contractors / Consultants , bill the taxpayer in excess of $100,000 or more each  year.

Whereas:  The Auditor General of Ontario has pointed out that the government of the day paid Fee For Service IT Consultants (a subset of all consultants) about $160 million in 2015 and $170 million in 2016. The use of Fee for Service Consultants  is a growing line item in the government’s budget.

Whereas: These Fee For Service Consultants carry out the same duties as Public Service employees but are paid far more.  By not publishing the cost to the taxpayer of Fee For Service Consultants / Contractors / IT Consultants, the government perpetuates the previous government’s lack of transparency, openness and accountability to the taxpaying public..

Whereas: The recent court of appeal  judgement upholding the right to publish the identities of Ontario’s top billing (OHIP) doctors presents a  legal precedent for a Fee For Service Sunshine List.

In view of the above-

We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

To immediately expand the annual Sunshine List to include Fee For Service Consultants / Contractors / Consultants  billing the Government of Ontario and in turn the taxpayer a $100,000 or more during a calendar year.

 

Name
Address
Signature

Please return (do not fax) the original signed petitions (no copies) to:

<your MPP> |<your MPP address>

-----End of template-----------

Links for further reading and reference

Address list of current MPPs​

OPSEU asks for contractor's sunshine List​

canadianmanufacturing.com echoes call for Fee For Service Sunshine List ​ 

Blogger discusses cost of Fee For Service Contractors to the taxpayer