The MPP for Niagara Centre has written an open letter to Ontario’s premier, expressing concerns about reports that the ServiceOntario location in Welland will be one of 11 in the province to be shut down.
“The ServiceOntario locations are set to be replaced with kiosks in privately-owned Staples – the latest in (Doug) Ford’s pattern of putting government services in the hands of private companies,” said MPP Jeff Burch in a news release.
In the NDP member’s letter to Doug Ford, Burch says residents have told his office they’re worried this could cause additional delays and longer wait times for services like health cards and driver’s licences.
Read the full letter below:
Dear Premier Ford,
I am writing to convey the deep frustration residents in my community feel after abruptly learning through media reports that the local ServiceOntario in Welland will close and be replaced by a “kiosk” inside an American- owned Staples. This sudden change raises serious concerns about residents' access to government services and your government's repeated pattern of handing out contracts to mega-corporations without a transparent process.
Welland residents who reached out to my office are worried that these changes will lead to additional delays and longer wait times for basic government services like health cards and driver’s licenses. The workers who operate this centre deserve certainty about the future of their jobs, especially during an affordability crisis. As with so many decisions made by the Conservatives, the lack of transparency and community consultation for this important decision is deeply troubling.
This deal with Staples is yet another example of your government's sole-sourced contracts that appear to benefit wealthy insiders with connections to the PC Party. Staples recently posted a Regional Service Manager position who will focus on the "monetization of ServiceOntario traffic” and “drive sales & profit results related to ServiceOntario traffic". Why are you putting profits before people?
The Welland community deserves timely and accessible government services. I am calling on you to prioritize better service delivery instead of lining the pockets of wealthy donors, so people do not have to wait for hours for the basic government services that we all rely on.
Sincerely,
Jeff Burch
Updated 01/16/24 with photo of the Welland ServiceOntario location.