NDP calls for resignation of Liberal minister responsible for SAMS debacle

Queen’s Park –Today, NDP MPP for Hamilton Mountain, Monique Taylor,called on Premier Wynne to ask the minister responsible for the SAMS debacle to resign.

“No one is above accountability in this legislature.  But the Minister of Community and Social Services refuses to take responsibility for the SAMS fiasco.  Since November, families have been underpaid.Cheques have been too late to pay the rent.  Staff are overwhelmed and exhausted.  And just yesterday, SAMS had to be rebooted, forcing staff to reassess many of their cases,” Taylor said.  

“SAMS is a nightmare, but the Liberals still think they aren’t accountable to the people of Ontario.  What will it take for the premier to ask the minister to resign?”

The minister said last Thursday, “we have been extremely successful.” 

“The Liberals’ measure of success includes $240 million, and counting, wasted on software that doesn’t work, 21 weeks of chaos, 500,000 T5s shredded, 720 clients’ privacy breached, and now, $200,000 spent on a report that ignores the biggest issues staff and recipients have been telling the Liberals about for months,  the functionality of the system,” Taylor said.

“How much more needs to go wrong before the premier asks the minister to resign?”