| Open
Letter to the Minister of Public Safety and Security
Queen’s Park
April 2, 2003
The
Hon. Bob Runciman
Minister of Public Safety and Security
25 Grosvenor St. 18th Fl
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1Y6
Dear
Minister,
I
am writing to you once again in support of Ontario’s
“double hatter” fire fighters. As you know, double hatters
are professional fire fighters who work in the city
and serve as volunteers where they live and on their
own free time.
My
Private Member’s Bill 30, the Volunteer Fire Fighters
Employment Protection Act, was intended to protect double
hatters from intimidation and threats of dismissal that
their union has been using to force them to resign their
volunteer posts. Although defeated at Third Reading
on December the 11th, more than two-thirds of the Conservative
members present voted for Bill 30. Three opposition
members defied their Whip to support it, and the rest
of the Liberals and NDP members present were opposed.
With the exception of the fire fighters’ union, all
of the stakeholders were supportive of the Bill. The
Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, the Association
of Municipalities of Ontario and the Fire Fighters Association
of Ontario supported Bill 30 and the Ontario Fire Marshal
supported the Bill in principle.
I
was pleased when you announced in January that the Honourable
George Adams would hold discussions with fire services
stakeholders to review the practice of double hatting
and attempt to reach a consensus solution or make recommendations
to you. My understanding is that he was to have completed
his report by the end of March.
Some
days ago, I informed your office that it was my intention
to raise a question with you in the Ontario Legislature
on March 18th concerning the double hatter issue. However,
the House has been prorogued and is now expected to
resume on April 30th.
By
way of this open letter, I would like to bring forward
the questions that I would have brought directly to
you during Question Period in the Legislature. Namely,
when will you release Justice Adams’ recommendations
to the public? What assurance will you provide that
professional fire fighters, who are also volunteers
in their free time, will be free from union harassment?
Will you provide assurance that you will act upon Justice
Adams’ recommendations? If legislation like Bill 30
is needed to solve this problem once and for all when
will you introduce it?
This
issue is very important and time sensitive in terms
of preventing more double hatters from being intimidated
and pressured into resigning as volunteer fire fighters.
Also, M.P.P.s are aware and very concerned about the
issue as demonstrated by the fact that they provided
seven hours debate for Bill 30, an unprecedented amount
of time for a Private Member’s Bill going back to 1950.
As
you probably know, 95 per cent of Ontario’s fire departments
rely on volunteers to some degree, and a large number
rely on them entirely. I believe that the failure to
protect double hatters will further weaken fire departments
in communities served by volunteers throughout Ontario.
This view was supported by the Fire Marshal at the Committee
hearings on Bill 30.
Surely
double hatters should be permitted to continue the long-standing
tradition of giving back to their communities in the
discipline in which they are trained, and free of union
harassment.
Thank
you for your consideration. I look forward to receiving
your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Ted
Arnott, M.P.P.
Waterloo-Wellington
TA/aj
c.c.
Ontario PC Caucus
The Honourable Ernie Eves
Dr. Jim Young, Ontario’s Commissioner of Public Security
Bernard Moyle, Ontario Fire Marshal
Pat Vanini, Ontario Association of Municipalities
Milt Wilson, President, Ontario Association of Fire
Chiefs
Dave Thompson, Fire Fighters Association of Ontario
Fred LeBlanc, Ontario Professional Fire Fighters
Association
Tim Lee, Fire Fighter (charged and expelled by union
for
volunteering)
|
