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Under pressure from opposition parties, the Liberals have pledged to repay $10,000 billed to taxpayers for the alleged scrubbing of computer hard drives in former premier Dalton McGuintys office.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the move Tuesday in the wake of Ontario Provincial Police revelations about the payment, uncovered in an 18-month probe of deleted documents in the $1.1-billion gas plants scandal.

In light of this new information the premier has concluded the tax dollars should not have been expended for the work performed, Wynne spokesperson Zita Astravas said in a seven-paragraph statement.

With HST, the repayment will total $11,017.50.

Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats accused the government of holding back its announcement on the repayment decision made by the Liberal partys executive council on Monday for as long as possible.

Now theyre hoping nobody notices this when they release this the day before Christmas Eve, said NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson, who joined Conservative MPP John Yakabuski in charging the repayment proves the alleged wiping of hard drives was a political action.

They did everything they could to destroy the evidence and cover it up, Bisson said in a statement.

Police have said its not known what documents were deleted, but they are searching more computer hard drives in an attempt to find any.

Wynnes office was keen to distance her administration from the McGuinty era, which ended in February 2013 just days after Peter Faist, the computer expert spouse of former McGuinty deputy chief of staff Laura Miller, is alleged to have wiped hard drives in the premiers office.

We had no information until the release (of an OPP search warrant application) that any services invoiced by Mr. Faist in fact related to the matters under investigation, added the statement from Wynnes office.

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Liberals to repay $10,000 paid to wipe computers

Under pressure from opposition parties, the Liberals have agreed to repay $11,000 billed to taxpayers for the alleged scrubbing of computer hard drives in the office of then premier Dalton McGuinty.

The payment was first revealed last week in an Ontario Provincial Police search warrant application as part of an investigation into deleted documents in the $1.1 billion gas plants scandal that has continued to dog Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Her office was keen to distance the current Liberal administration from McGuintys, which ended in February 2013.

The Liberal partys executive council made the decision to ensure no tax dollars are expended for work performed in the office of the former premier in relation to matters currently under investigation by Ontario Provincial Police, Wynnes office said in a statement.

With HST, the total will come to $11,017.50.

Police allege the money was paid to Peter Faist, a computer expert who is the spouse of former McGuinty deputy chief of staff Laura Miller, in an arrangement made through the taxpayer-funded Liberal Caucus Service Bureau.

Although it would be inappropriate to prejudge the outcome of the ongoing investigation, in light of this new information the premier has concluded that tax dollars should not have been expended for the work performed, the statement from Wynnes office added.

Opposition parties were quick to pounce on the repayment, saying it links the Wynnes administration to the cover-up of deleted gas plant documents.

In no way, shape or form does this absolve them, said Progressive Conservative MPP John Yakabuski, a member of the legislative committee probing the scandal over the plants in Mississauga and Oakville axed by McGuinty before the 2011 election.

The fact theyre repaying this money from Liberal coffers proves this was a political action.

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Liberals to repay $11,000 allegedly paid to wipe computers

Former Premier Dalton McGuinty leaves a justice policy committee meeting after answering questions about deleted emails relating to two cancelled gas plants at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (KEVIN VAN PAASSEN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL) Former Premier Dalton McGuinty leaves a justice policy committee meeting after answering questions about deleted emails relating to two cancelled gas plants at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (KEVIN VAN PAASSEN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

TORONTOThe Canadian Press

Published Tuesday, Dec. 23 2014, 4:19 PM EST

Last updated Tuesday, Dec. 23 2014, 4:41 PM EST

Ontarios governing Liberals have decided taxpayers will no longer be on the hook for about $10,000 they paid a computer expert to allegedly wipe hard drives in the premiers office.

Court documents released last week show Ontario Provincial Police allege a computer expert with no security clearance was paid to delete documents in former Premier Dalton McGuintys office.

Police investigating deleted documents on the cancellation of two gas plants at a cost of up to $1.1 billion allege the payment of taxpayer money to Peter Faist, the spouse of McGuintys deputy chief of staff, was made by Liberal Caucus Services.

Premier Kathleen Wynnes press secretary says in a statement that the Ontario Liberal Party executive council voted Monday to cover the payment so no tax dollars go toward work currently under police investigation.

Zita Astravas says the payment is in no way intended as a prejudgment or comment upon the findings of the ongoing police investigation.

She says they had no information until the release of the court documents that any services invoiced by Faist were related to matters under investigation.

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Liberals to reimburse taxpayers $10,000 paid to allegedly wipe hard drives

ABOVE: Canadians approve most strongly of the NDPs Thomas Mulcair, yet dont quite seem ready to embrace him as Prime Minister.We speak with Ipsos Reids Darrell Bricker about what the poll suggests for the next federal election

TORONTO If you had to choosebetween NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who would you say was a better leader? Would you change your answerif you were selectingthe next Prime Minister of Canada? A new Global News/Ipsos Reid poll suggests Mulcair has a higher approval rating than both Trudeau and Stephen Harper, but that Trudeaus Liberals are favoured over the NDP to lead the next government.

Fifty-seven per cent of Canadians polled approved of Mulcairs individual performance as Leader of the Opposition and NDP, compared with 55 per cent approval for Trudeau and 49 per cent for Harper.

But despite earning the top spot in terms of performance, Mulcairs high rating doesnt look like it will translate into votes, according to the poll results.

Only 36 per cent agree that Mulcair is ready to be Prime Minister; 37 per cent agree the NDP is ready to formthe next government. On the other hand, a full two thirds (63 per cent) disagree the NDP is ready to be the next government and 64 per cent disagree Mulcair is ready to be PM.

This is compared with 44 per cent of those polled who think Trudeau could lead the country, and the same percentage who think Liberals could govern. A majority (at 56 per cent) also disagree that Trudeau is prepared to be Canadas head of state; 56 per cent dont think his party is ready to formCanadas next government.

The discord between high approval and the belief Mulcair is ready to govern could be because people havent thought of him in those terms yet, says Ipsos Reid Global Public Affairs CEO Darrell Bricker.

He seems to be outstanding in the minds of Canadians as an Opposition leader, but do they see him yet as a Prime Minister? Thats another bridge that he has to cross.

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Mulcair seen as better leader, but Liberals favoured to win: poll

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Former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty testifies before a legislative committee in Toronto on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 probing cancellation of gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga.

TORONTO The Ontario Liberals are reimbursing the roughly $11,000 paid to a computer expert to delete personal information from computers in the premiers office. Thecomputersalso contained documents related to the cancelled gas plants.

Police documents released earlier in December revealed the Liberals paid Peter Faist, the spouse of then-Premier Dalton McGuintys deputy chief of staff, approximately $10,000 to wipe the computers of personal data.

The Liberals announced Tuesday theyd reimburse the money to ensure no tax dollars are expended for work performed.

We had no information until the release of this ITO that any services invoiced by Mr. Faist in fact related to the matters under investigation, the statement read. Although it would it be inappropriate to prejudge the outcome of the ongoing investigation, in light of this new information the Premier has concluded that tax dollars should not have been expended for the work performed.

Faist allegedly told police in an interview he was under the impression that the Cabinet Office was aware of his presence and the work requested of him, according to the documents. Faists lawyer insists his client did nothing wrong.

WATCH: (Dec. 18)OPP documents allege Liberal Caucus paid outsider $10k to wipe computers

The documents released last week allege McGuintys chief of staff David Livingston conducted a breach of trust by allowing a non-public service employee to access government computers, install software and delete data on 21 hard drives within the premiers office.

Livingston has not been charged with anything however and the statements made in the police documents have not been proven in court. Livingston has also insisted in the past that the did nothing wrong.

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Ontario Liberals pay back $11k given to specialist to wipe computers