Ontario considers privatizing property tax assessments after spending scandal

TORONTO – Ontario’s Liberal government is considering privatizing the agency that assesses homes across the province for municipal taxes.

The Progressive Conservatives accuse the Liberals of mismanagement after the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation decided to hold a retreat in Toronto at taxpayers’ expense.

About 1,300 MPAC employees from across the province are at the event, which includes using Leggo blocks for team building exercises.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan was angry after hearing about the retreat, and says he’ll look at privatizing the agency.

Duncan says there’s something seriously wrong when he appoints people to MPAC but is “powerless” to make changes at the agency.

The New Democrats criticized Duncan for saying he may privatize MPAC, saying that kind of policy-on-the-fly from the Liberals is what gets the government into trouble time and time again.

The Tories say MPAC is just another example to add to the list of Liberal failings that also include scandals at the Ornge air ambulance service and eHealth.