Metrolinx spending in question

There’s a call for Ontario’s Auditor General to look into Metrolinx spending.

Reports say the transit authority bought $27,000 worth of Buffalo Bills tickets, and also sponsored the Toronto International Film Festival for more than $30,000. NDP MPP Rosario Marchese is demanding the probe.

Metrolinx has, however, released a statement saying:

“Metrolinx did not pay for tickets. The Bills tickets came as a part of a promotional partnership with GO Transit that did not require any payment. The TIFF tickets were included as part of a sponsorship agreement and again were not purchased.”

“The public, when they look at this and see this says, ‘I don’t get it. I ain’t going to this TIFF, I ain’t seeing that football game. Somebody else is, and what is the purpose of this?’ And I think that is what we need to worry about. Will it have an effect of Metrolinx if the Auditor General were to do a value for money audit? I think it will. I think it will reveal that there is a problem there. These are the only two sponsorship programs we are aware of. It’s quite possible they’ve been involved in other sponsorship programs of questionable value, and it will be revealed, and hopefully this agency and others will no that the public expects public agencies to spend money wisely.”

Marchese says Metrolinx should focus on making an integrated transit system across the GTA, and says sponsorship programs like this will not give them the credibility to do the job.