Lottery Fallout: Opposition Wants Caplan Fired
Posted March 27, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There’s two words the opposition has for the man in charge of overseeing the lottery system at Queen’s Park: lame duck.
Both Conservative leader John Tory and NDP chief Howard Hampton are seeking David Caplan’s political head on a platter after Monday’s damning and scathing report on apparent cheating at Ontario Lottery and Gaming.
Ombudsman Andre Marin cited a wide range of problems at OLG that appear to include allowing some unscrupulous retailers to cheat real winners out of big jackpots.
Caplan claims he knew nothing about the scandal until a week before the news broke.
“When the report was brought to my attention, sometime around Oct. 9-10, that’s when action ensued,” he defends. “That is when that allegation (of too many insider wins) first surfaced, and when I became aware of it.”
But those opposed are trying to scratch and win at Caplan’s reputation.
“He sat on his derriere for six months while people in this province were ripped off,” condemns Tory.
“The notion that he doesn’t talk to his senior staff, who are getting e-mails months before this was in the public domain — it’s ridiculous. These people speak for him every day. Is he some sort of a monk that sits in his office and doesn’t talk to his staff?
Hampton is equally incredulous, noting “he had a responsibility to protect the public and failed.”
What does Caplan think of the demands for his immediate resignation?
“I think my responsibility is to make sure that the right actions are taken to ensure the public interest and public confidence in their corporation is said,” he answers. “That’s what I’m doing.” He’s apparently asked the OPP to look into the allegations.
The government maintains confidence in the lottery, while shaken, isn’t gone.
And there’s some reason to believe they’re right.
Despite the fact the lottery scandal surfaced last fall, sales records show more of us than ever are buying tickets.
Which appears to indicate the majority are willing to gamble on their honesty, even as we look a little bit closer at the numbers.
