MPP Arnott Says 77 Day Delay Unacceptable - Minister Needs to Legislate Protection for Double-Hatters Now

Citing written support from the Fire Marshal and from the Minister’s own policy advisor, Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott continued to pressure Minister of Community Safety Monte Kwinter to take legislative action to protect double-hatter fire fighters during Question Period on June 15, 2004. In some instances, these fire fighters are being forced by their union to stop volunteering as fire fighters in their home communities.

During their exchange in the Ontario Legislature, Mr. Arnott reminded Mr. Kwinter of statements the Minister had made to the House on March 31st, 2004, 77 days before. At that time the Minister said: “…I have met with the professional firefighters and told them that I would like to have mediation. If we can't do that, then I'm going to bring forward legislation.”

“The Minister is apparently unable to establish a process for mediation and so he must bring forward legislation to follow through on his commitment to the House,” Mr. Arnott charged later. “I was very disappointed with his answer. He seems to have changed his tone now and has washed his hands of the problem.”

“I believed that the Minister was sincere when he initially expressed support for double-hatter fire fighters some weeks ago. He said it was unacceptable to him that public safety would be jeopardized because of a dispute within the fire service. I believed the Minister, and I also believe that the Premier’s office must have interfered in this issue to cause this extraordinary delay. Perhaps officials in the Premier’s office are less supportive of double-hatters than the Minister was,” Mr. Arnott added.

In the House, Mr. Arnott provided evidence from a letter from one of the Minister’s own policy advisors indicating that double-hatter fire fighters are being reduced in numbers. The letter stated: “…the number of two-hatters currently being utilized throughout the province is continuing to decline at a significant rate.” Mr. Arnott also advised the House that the Fire Marshal of Ontario reconfirmed his support for legislation to protect double-hatters.

“If the Minister is unwilling to act, this situation can only continue to worsen, weakening volunteer departments in rural Ontario. Continuous inaction by the Government may be putting public safety at risk,” said Mr. Arnott. “The Government needs to bring forward Legislation now.”

Ted Arnott introduced Bill 52, the Volunteer Fire Fighters Employment Protection Act, on April 7, 2004, as a solution the Government could adopt to protect double hatter fire fighters in Ontario. He has been supporting the double-hatters’ right to volunteer since the spring of 2002, when the issue was brought to his attention by a local fire chief.