MPP Arnott questions Minister’s ‘display of anger’ and challenges Premier to keep promise to families with autistic kids

On September 27th in the Ontario Legislature, MPP Ted Arnott made his first statement of the Fall Sitting about the McGuinty Government’s broken promise to families with autistic children. The following is the text of his remarks in the House:

Mr. Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): In his very first question of this Fall Sitting of the Legislature, the Leader of the Opposition asked the Premier about his broken promise to families with autistic children. Calling the Premier on the carpet for his broken promise to extend IBI treatment for autistic children beyond the age of six, our Leader demanded action.

I first raised this issue in the House almost two and a half years ago, as yet another example of the McGuinty Liberals serial promise-breaking.

This past summer, I was invited to speak at the “No More Excuses Rally” for autistic children held in Kitchener. I met many parents who are imploring the Premier to keep his word, even though, to date, in many cases he has ignored their pleas for help.

Mr. Speaker, we have to find a way to help those kids.

A few days ago, at Estimates Committee I had a chance to ask the Minister of Children and Youth Services questions about this issue. When I asked an innocuous question whether the Government had made a public announcement of new policies impacting autistic kids on waiting lists, she said this: “You know, Mr. Arnott, I’m going to get really angry very soon…”

I think autistic children and their parents deserve much more than a public display of anger by the McGuinty Liberal Government. It was Dalton McGuinty who made the promise, and it’s up to Dalton McGuinty to keep it, or without a doubt this broken promise will form part of the verdict that the Ontario voters will render onto this Government on October 4th, 2007.