Ontario
Legislature resumes – MPP Arnott criticizes bad management
that hurts children
On
March 19th, the first day of the Spring sitting of the
Ontario Legislature, MPP Ted Arnott spoke on behalf
of the Ontario PC Caucus, responding to a statement
about the Family Responsibility Office delivered by
the Minister of Community and Social Services. The following
is the text of his remarks in the House:
Mr.
Speaker, I’m glad to have this chance to reply to the
Minister of Community and Social Services, on behalf
of our Party. I know that the Member for York North,
who is an outstanding advocate for improving the wellbeing
of Ontario’s children and families, would want to be
here to respond to this statement, but I understand
that she is attending a funeral this afternoon.
So
in responding on her behalf, I’m expressing my own personal
views.
My
wife and I have been blessed with three children, and
they are the centre of our lives. As a father, I believe
that I have certain moral obligations to my children,
one of which is ensuring that all of their essential,
material needs are met. I believe that every father
has this moral obligation.
This
obligation continues even in the event of a marital
split, and in many cases Ontario court orders are intended
to ensure that the costs of raising children are shared
by both parents. Unfortunately, as we know, too many
children still do without because one parent is unwilling
or unable to make their payments for their children’s
needs.
Every
member in this House knows that the Family Responsibility
Office is a bureaucracy which has huge problems. Rarely
a day goes by that my Constituency office doesn’t receive
a complaint about FRO. Whether FRO is poorly administered,
or it is under-resourced, or its processes need to be
simplified, or new leadership needs to be appointed,
this Government has been remiss in tackling the fundamental
problems at FRO.
The
Ombudsman has said as much, and I agree. With over $1.3
billion in support arrears uncollected, tens of thousands
of children go without the basic necessities that most
of us take for granted.
How
do these families pay for healthy food, new shoes, additional
school expenses, the extras like minor sports and other
recreational activities, let alone save up for post
secondary education? Many of them can’t.
Will
this new website help? I sincerely hope that it does.
However, when we looked at it a few minutes ago in my
office it appeared that there were only 18 so-called
“dead-beat dads” pictured on the website. Hardly something
worth boasting about in this House. The Minister claims
to have located five deadbeat dads, but has the money
they owe yet found its way to their children? Apparently
not.
Collecting
all that money for all of those children and families
in Ontario, will take more than a website. It will take
an overhaul, strong leadership, compassion for families,
and a good business sense. The McGuinty Liberal Government
has had its chance and wasted the last three and-a-half
years. These children need a change of Government.
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