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Terry Davidson and Sam Pazzano, QMI Agency May 2, 2014

, Last Updated: 8:03 AM ET

TORONTO -- The provincial Liberals were taken to task in the legislature Thursday over a QMI Agency exclusive about a Queen's Park kickback scheme that saw three government workers convicted.

Timmins-James Bay New Democrat Gilles Bisson demanded to know which "Liberal cabinet ministers" allegedly received free cleaning as part of the kickback scheme that saw three provincial government workers convicted of accepting a secret commission and breach of trust.

A fourth person contracted by the province pleaded guilty to fraud under $5,000.

At the preliminary hearing for one government official who pleaded guilty, Bruno Perciasepe, a corrupt cleaner-turned-police-agent, testified he provided "free" cleaning to Liberal cabinet ministers and inflated the cost of other contracts to cover his costs and provide 10% kickbacks to the three officials.

Perciasepe told court he did "not believe" the cabinet ministers were aware of the kickback scheme he'd been involved in with the three officials.

"Which Liberal cabinet ministers had their homes cleaned free as part of this kickback scheme?" Bisson asked.

Premier Kathleen Wynne said Ontario's government took the issue seriously when it broke in 2010.

"They initiated an internal audit ... (and) the OPP laid charges against three government employees," said Wynne, insisting the issue had drawn to a "conclusion."

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Ont. Liberals take heat over kickback scheme

Should black liberals get a pass on making racist accusations?

On a Nation of Islam radio show last weekend, Rep. Bennie Thompson a Mississippi Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus called Justice Clarence Thomas an Uncle Tom for his part in recent Supreme Court decisions, such as last years finding of a portion of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.

For the uninitiated, this is one of the most vile terms that can be directed at an African-American. It has come to mean a servile black person in league with white power interests.

Days later, Thompson refused to apologize: If you look at his decisions on the court, they have been adverse to the minority community, and the people I represent have a real issue with an African-American notsensible to those issues.

A CNN reporter noted that Uncle Tom is inappropriate if said by a white person. But Im black, Thompson responded.

So that makes it right, Congressman?

We note this is not the first time Justice Thomas has been slurred in this fashion. A few years back, members of the Hawaii branch of the ACLU also called him an Uncle Tom when they objected to inviting him to a conference on the First Amendment. Thomas isnt alone: Other black conservatives have been likewise smeared simply for having convictions that deviate from proscribed liberal orthodoxy.

People are free to disagree with Justice Thomass decisions and his views on life. But hurling a slave term at a black man of singular achievement is racist no matter what the race of the person saying it.

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When liberals cry uncle

NSW

ANALYSIS

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NSW Premier Mike Baird reacts to former police minister Mike Gallacher's resignation.

The credibility of the NSW government has been hanging by a thread since the resignation of premier Barry O'Farrell last month.

O'Farrell's decision allowed cleanskin Mike Baird to step into the job in a bid to stem the bleeding that started when energy minister Chris Hartcher resigned from cabinet in December and continued when he and fellow central coast MPs Darren Webber and Chris Spence had their memberships of the parliamentary Liberal party suspended.

NSW Premier Mike Baird faces a massive credibility challenge one year out from an election. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The resignation from cabinet of Mike Gallacher on Friday after he was accused of corrupt conduct in relation to the same alleged slush fund, Eightbyfive, that has tainted Hartcher and his colleagues risks blowing any remaining trust in the government to pieces in the mind of the public.

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The message it sends is appalling. Gallacher is not only Police Minister but also Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council. In other words, he has enjoyed the position of a respected leader of the parliamentary wing of the Liberal party.

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Liberals' credibility hanging by a thread

Ontarios Liberal government is ramping up the provinces deficit with a big-spending budget designed to either forestall an election or pay off at the polls in the event of a snap vote. The spending plan which hikes the shortfall to $12.5-billion outlines a sweeping, left-tilting agenda including a new provincial pension plan, billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure and piles of money for social services.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the government has to intervene to stimulate a sluggish economy. Weve taken the deliberate step and the conscious step to make these investments this year, he said. Thats going to propel our economy to a level that otherwise wouldnt occur.

The reasoning behind the document, however, is as much about politics as policy. The Liberals are banking that the budget will be hard for the NDP to vote against.

And if they do, they hope the new spending will win them the ensuing election. The Grits control only a minority of seats in the legislature and, with the Progressive Conservatives vowing to vote down the budget, need the NDPs support to avoid an election.

Just minutes after Mr. Sousa tabled the plan in the legislature, Premier Kathleen Wynne ratcheted up the pressure on NDP Leader Andrea Horwath to support it by giving her a one-week deadline to make up her mind.

We are eager to implement key aspects of the document immediately, Ms. Wynne wrote in an open letter. We need to begin the process of putting the new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan in place, of building infrastructure across the province, especially through our Moving Ontario Forward plan for transportation and transit, and of creating good jobs and growing the economy.

Ms. Horwath skipped the traditional news conference with reporters in the budget lockup, saying she would instead respond to the budget Friday. Ill be talking more in the morning, she said as she left the legislature.

The hefty deficit is $2.4-billion more than the governments target, but Mr. Sousa insisted he could still balance the books by 2017-18 using a combination of higher taxes on the rich and smokers, and brisker economic growth. The shortfall, he said, will fall dramatically to $8.9-billion next year.

But the blown deficit target could lead to a downgrade in the provinces credit rating in the weeks ahead.

Its obviously more than we expected and factored in, in our last review, said Mario Angastiniotis, who analyzes Ontarios finances for Standard & Poors. And thats disappointing. While saying its understandable given the weaker-than-expected economy that revenues are not growing as much as expected, Mr. Angastiniotis noted the lack of offsetting measures in the form of greater spending restraint.

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Ontario Liberals give NDP hard deadline to decide on budget

How Talk to Debate Liberals on Obamacare: Jim Frogue
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