You're right to call them on out this, as it's been an absurd claim from conservatives for several decades now. These days, they hate individual choice whenever that might threaten the interests of wealthy white men; trans rights, voting rights, abortion, etc.

That said, they have been ideologically consistent on this when it suits their needs: guns, schools, healthcare, the environment. It's a selfish stance that results in terrible, destructive policy on all of those issues, but in those areas "individual choice" is still a genuine conservative ideal.

It works in the US, too, when it's given a chance.

The municipal electricity, gas, and internet providers in this state seem to be clear examples, and we need more of them.

Not all government is incompetent or wasteful. That comes from bad policy and bad staffing, and can be avoided.

Sounds like the folks in charge of this program sure dropped the ball, though, and it should either be reformed or scrapped.