Ontario Hansard - 27-April 2005

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Mr. Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): I'm pleased to join in this debate. I want to say at the outset that I will be voting in support of this motion put forward by Mr. Hampton for a very clear reason. The motion reads, "That, in the opinion of this House, the McGuinty government must keep its promises to Ontario children." Speaker, I'm sure you would agree with me that this government has a reputation for not keeping its promises. Whether it is to children, to seniors, to businesses or to the social service sector, there is such an incredible track record of broken promises and broken trust by this Premier and by this government. I believe this debate gives us an opportunity to make it very clear to people in this province just what the impact of those broken promises is, and how empty so much of the rhetoric we get from this government really is, how hollow many of the words we hear from cabinet ministers and from this Premier really are.

We heard, even in this debate, in the response from one of the members of the government, how this government takes pride in the fact that they have created a new ministry for children and youth. Yet when we look at the record, we see that this new ministry is really simply one new bureaucratic way of sidestepping the responsibilities this government has to children in this province, one more minister to write one more letter that does not address the issue when there is an appeal by parents, whether it's for autism or other issues. So the creation of a ministry is not the answer; the answer is to respond in a practical way to the promises made to the children of this province.

For the record, I want to read a portion of a letter that was sent by Dalton McGuinty. It was dated September 17, 2003. It was addressed to Ms. Morrison, and it reads as follows: "Sadly, as you and many other Ontario families are experiencing first-hand, far too few autistic children in our province are getting the help and support they so desperately need." He says, "I also believe that the lack of government-funded IBI treatment for autistic children over six is unfair and discriminatory. The Ontario Liberals support extending autism treatment beyond the age of six." He goes on to say, "In government, my team" -- this is the team we are now listening to today justifying why they are not doing what Dalton McGuinty said he was going to do -- "and I will work with clinical directors, parents, teachers and school boards to devise a feasible way in which autistic children in our province can get the support and treatment they need. That includes children over the age of six."

It's signed, "Dalton McGuinty, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party." That's the same Dalton McGuinty who today is the Premier and has his team, his team that is now refusing to live up to those promises that were made.

I have had -- as I'm sure every member of this House has -- visits over the last number of months and years from parents of autistic children who are simply asking for one thing, and that is that their children be given an opportunity to grow and develop. It's not as though this is new treatment; it's not as though a treatment is not available; it is. It's being delivered.

I'm proud of the fact that our government was the first government to actually introduce formal treatment into the province of Ontario for children with autism, paid for by the government of Ontario. It started off with a $5-million investment, increased by another $35 million, increased by millions more. It was a beginning. It was an important start.

What parents are asking now is for Dalton McGuinty, who, when he was wanting to be Premier, made a promise to them -- not a conditional promise. His letter did not say, "depending on what the books of the province are; depending on whether or not we can afford this"; he clearly made the statement that this was a priority for him and it would be a priority for this government. He made the statement that he and his team will provide treatment to children with autism beyond the age of six. As the official opposition, we are today calling on the Premier of this province, on the government of the day, to keep his promises.

I found it shocking that in this very Legislature, just last week, when the Premier was put a question in this House by Ms. Churley, he did not hesitate at all. There was no equivocation at all about his response. I want you to contrast this question with the question that is being put to him through this motion. The question Ms. Churley put to him -- and this is regarding the issue of sexual reassignment surgery, whether government would fund a sex-change operation. Ms. Churley said this: "I ask you, if the tribunal rules in favour of reinstating funding, will you ensure that your government respects the ruling and reinstate the funding immediately after that ruling?" Mr. McGuinty responded this way: "I want to be very, very direct to the member's question: Yes."

Isn't it interesting that he is very quick to say yes in response to that question, but when the Superior Court of Ontario directs this same government, this same Premier, to provide funding for autistic children, he has refused to even answer that question in this place? He doesn't have the moral courage to stand in this place and respond; the best he can do is refer the question to his Attorney General. This is cowardice at its worst, it is immoral and it shows a bankruptcy on the part of this government, not in terms of finances but in terms of moral fibre and character.