The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) is calling on Premier Kathleen Wynne to pause the OLG’s modernization process until after the Auditor General releases his report on the decisions surrounding the OLG modernization plan.
Today, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts voted to ask the Auditor General to investigate the OLG’s process in determining the Modernization Plan. The Auditor General has confirmed that an investigation will commence in short order.
“We have had serious concerns with the OLG’s modernization process from the start. The Public Accounts committee’s motion raises significant questions about the Government and OLG’s gaming modernization strategy and called on the Auditor General to investigate. This is a very serious development and one that the Premier must respect,” said Sue Leslie, President of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association.
“The OLG’s modernization process has ravaged our industry. Thousands of people have lost their jobs as a result of this rush to dramatically change gaming in Ontario. We formally ask Premier Wynne to respect that a majority of the legislature has twice in less than a month voted to demonstrate their opposition to the current approach the OLG and government are taking. We urge the Premier to pause OLG Modernization until the Auditor General’s report is public,” Leslie added.
The motion, as adopted, calls on the Auditor General to investigate all aspects of the OLG’s modernization strategy, including the process for tendering, contracting, and planning for all new or proposed casinos; host-city-payment formulas; revenue projections and economic impact assessments; community impacts on mental health and/or addiction matters; effects on the Slots At Racetracks Program; and consultations to determine whether or not casinos are welcome in proposed communities.
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