It has been a good year for Ontario's Liberal government, what with having earned a fresh mandate from Ontario voters just two months ago and then early last week managing to escape virtually unscathed from Auditor-General Jim McCarter's annual report.

While McCarter's report offered the government a "pat on the back" for its efforts in delivering public programs more efficiently and effectively, he did red-flag some areas in which the McGuinty government was lacking.

In probably the most disturbing aspect of his report, McCarter found that Ontario's sex-offender registry does not contain the names of 365 offenders who should be on the list. McCarter noted the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services never obtained a list of the 1,060 sex offenders in federal custody at the time of the registry's 2001 inception.

In effect, the province's database has not been properly tracking many rapists and child molesters.

To his credit, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci moved quickly to amend legislation governing the registry, admitting the government was acting in response to McCarter's report.

However, McCarter also found:

? GO Transit service is floundering due to poor planning and inadequate funding. However, in another reaction move, the province late last week announced a $400-million cash infusion to GO and the TTC.

? Novice drivers who take the province's beginning driving education course are 62 per cent more likely to be involved in a crash than those who don't take the course. As well, driving instructors were far more likely to have demerit points for minor offences, such as speeding and driving without a seatbelt, than the public (6.5 per cent to 1.4 per cent).

? The government is owed $967 million in outstanding provincial sales tax -- a 65 per cent jump in seven years.

? On the health front, McCarter found the province is not prepared to deal with a flu pandemic, operating rooms are sitting idle while patients wait and pharmacy fraud goes largely unchecked.

While the province can take some measure of comfort for its successes this past year, it is clear there is much on which it can improve.

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Time to probe Dhinsa affair:

The Hamilton Police Services Board (PSB) decided Monday to appeal a decision by a divisional court that refused to conduct a judicial review of quashed sexual harassment charges against Sgt. Kevin Dhinsa. The court ruled Chief Brian Mullan, 12 female complainants and the Police Services Board did not have standing.

If you're having trouble following along, join the club. Basically, the PSB has decided to appeal an appeal.

All 24 charges against Sgt. Kevin Dhinsa were quashed last February after a hearing officer found that Chief Mullan failed to file them within a statutory six-month time limit.

In a nutshell, Chief Mullan made a big mistake that cost 12 women their opportunity for justice. The buck, so to speak, in this situation, stops at Chief Mullan. He is ultimately responsible for the charges being dropped, yet he refuses to accept responsibility. And his drastic failure in leadership is being masked by the PSB, which clearly is not acting in the best interest of the public. Apparently, the tail wags the dog when it comes to the PSB in Hamilton.

Chief Mullan says he will continue to fight for the women who allege sexual misconduct under his watch. It's a shame the chief didn't grab the torch when it really mattered. If he had been doing his duty to these women and the public, justice for all concerned would have already been served.

This week, PSB member Terry Whitehead mused about the possibility of a probe into the Dhinsa affair and the chief's conduct.

Stop musing and start reviewing. Until a review is conducted, the question of confidence in Chief Mullan's abilities will hang over his office like a dark cloud of suspicion.