There were allegations this week that organized crime has infiltrated Ontario institutions at the highest level.
When the suggestion comes from a talk show host, you take it with a grain of salt.
But when the charge is made by a former senior officer with the RCMP, Ontarians should take notice.
Retired chief superintendent Ben Soave made the comment in an interview this week concerning allegations of rampant corruption in Quebec. Soave said Ontario has "the same problem, the same corruption. One finds the same groups linked to organized crime. They are just more discreet.
"The political world, the police arena, the justice system, the manufacturing sector, nobody can escape it . . . Sometimes politicians are very naïve. They do not pay attention to the danger or the risk and they shake hands and accept some money." The comments caught Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty off guard.
"If there's any truth to this, let's get it on the table," McGuinty said,
The charges come amid a troubling pattern.
They fit a government that would spend nearly $1-billion on the eHealth fiasco and have practically nothing to show for it.
They accord with a government that would blow $200 million-plus on the cancellation of power plants just to preserve a couple seats in an election.
They suit a government that would throw millions of dollars at an ill-conceived air ambulance scheme with virtually no oversight.
They might seem plausible in light of secretive, multi-billion dollar green energy deals that run roughshod over public opinion and local interests.
They describe a government that would casually negate the rule of law. Think Caledonia.
And Soave's words fit within the context of a Premier who habitually reneges on promises whenever it suits his purpose.
Other Liberal administrations in recent years have faced serious allegations of corruption.
Similar allegations are the subject of a wide-ranging probe in Quebec. Similar charges were levied against the government of Jean Chretien.
When there's this much smoke, it's right to look for fire.
20 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.lfpress.com/2012/09/19/pov-corruption-allegations-not-so-easily-dismissed
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