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Ontario Liberals $500-million to make peace with school teachers last year, according to a new report. (Chris So/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Chris So via Getty Images

The provincial government spent nearly $500-million to buy labour peace with school teachers in 2013.

That figure comes in a new report from the auditor general, released on Wednesday.

The provincial Liberals took on teachers back in 2012, imposing contracts that, among other cutbacks, ended payouts for unused sick days. The government said those measures would save nearly $2.5-billion.

Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk was asked to investigate if the Liberals were exaggerating that amount.

"We have concluded that the estimate was reasonable," she said in her report.

However, after the contracts were imposed amid labour unrest the Liberals made new deals with teachers. At that time, they promised the deals would not cost taxpayers anything.

But the auditor tallies those deals at $468-million.

So the governments original cost reduction estimate of $2.4-billion, made in August 2012, was revised to $2.1-billion after the contract negotiations. Lysyk repeated that was reasonable.

Continued here:
Liberals Pay Nearly $500-Million For Labour Peace With Teachers: Auditor General