Regional News
Jan 16, 2008 07:43 PM
By: Caroline Grech
A request by opposition parties to have the Ontario Provincial Police probe Liberal
government grants to multicultural groups puts a local expansion project in the eye
of the storm.
The issue resurfaced following release of a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty from
Larry Tannenbaum, co-chair of the Tomorrow Campaign, thanking him and fellow
cabinet members for a $15-million donation to the United Jewish Appeal Federation
of Greater Toronto to help build a Jewish community campus.
The campaign raised funds to build a number of projects in Toronto and Vaughan,
including the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus.
?Mr. Premier, when I received the call from the Honourable Mike Colle informing me of
the funding announcement, I was proud to see that my government was taking an active
role in the lives of the Toronto Jewish Community. This support would not be possible
without the assistance of yourself and cabinet colleagues,? the letter reads.
The March 20, 2007, letter was obtained by York University professor David Noble, who
has criticized Mr. Tannenbaum in the past.
Opposition parties charge the letter is proof Mr. McGuinty was involved in the awarding
of grants to multicultural organizations. The $32 million in grants were awarded, in some
instances, to groups that provided little documentation, prompting critics to call it a
political slush fund.
?He (McGuinty) had denied any involvement in any of this. The issue is what, if anything,
did McGuinty know?? Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman said.
Mr. Shurman praised the UJA and stressed nobody is questioning its intentions.
?The UJA is an amazing charity that does amazing work in the community and beyond,?
Mr. Shurman said, adding what Mr. Tannenbaum wrote looks like a standard thank-you
letter.
Despite that, Mr. Shurman said the Conservatives are calling for an OPP investigation
because the Attorney General?s office can only go so far.
Howard English, vice-president of communications for the UJA, called the letter standard
business procedure.
?The letter is a courtesy letter that was sent to Mr. McGuinty. To read anything else into
it is ridiculous,? Mr. English said. ?He (Mr. Tannenbaum) wrote that letter in his capacity
as the co-chair of the Tomorrow Campaign and nothing else.?
As for any worries people might question the UJA?s reputation, Mr. English has none.
?Absolutely no one has disputed the benefit of the Campaign for Tomorrow project. It
stands on its own merit and value,? Mr. English said. ?The reason we received the grant
was because the provincial government viewed the project as a benefit. We received the
grant for the merits of the campaign, for no other reason.?
In July, Auditor General Jim McCarter released his report on the awarding of grants by the
Liberal government in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In it, the United Jewish Appeal was included
but the report noted the organization provided many details to the Ministry regarding the
projects it was working on, unlike some other groups.
Richmond Hill Liberal MPP Reza Moridi had not yet seen the letter from Mr. Tannenbaum,
but said the grant situation is finished.
?This came up in the last parliament. The Auditor General came up with the report and the
premier dealt with it. He accepted all the recommendations and implemented them,?
Mr. Moridi said.
As for the letter, while Mr. Moridi hadn?t seen it, he said sending a letter of thanks to the
government after receiving a donation is a courtesy.
?This is quite routine, if someone thanks the government for the donation. If it?s in that
context then it?s not that unusual. I don?t see any problem with that,? Mr. Moridi said.
The Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus at Weldrick Road and Bathurst
Street will house a number of facilities, including schools, a recreation and sports facility
and family health centre.