Opposition outraged over massive payout to ex-Deputy Minister of Health
Posted April 5, 2011 4:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – A massive payout to a former Deputy Minister of Health has prompted angry questions from opposition at Queen’s Park, who are demanding to know why Ron Sapsford was paid $762,000 last year, for a post he no longer held.
Sapsford quit his position as Deputy Health Minister in 2009 amid the eHealth scandal, but was paid nearly $800,000 last year through the Hamilton Health Sciences, a hospital in the Hamilton area.
While there has been some speculation that the money was severance pay, Premier Dalton McGuinty has refused to comment on the details because of confidentiality rules.
“It arises from a contractual obligation, and that’s as much as I can say,” McGuinty said.
The New Democratic Party has accused the Liberals of trying to hide the payout in the budget of the Hamilton Health Sciences.
“People want to know why Ron Sapsford was paid as much as he was, and why his compensation was buried in the records of Hamilton Health Sciences,” said NDP Leader Andrea Howarth.
McGuinty refused to speak about why the money was paid out through Hamilton Health Sciences as opposed to through the Ministry of Health.
Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said public taxpayers are still being stung by the eHealth scandal.
“Why did this money get taken out of healthcare to pay off your backroom deal?” asked Hudak.
McGuinty claimed there was never any intent to hide the payout, seeing as how it was made public in the annual Sunshine List, which publishes all salaries over $100,000 for any industry that receives public funding.
