Liberals refuse communities outside Toronto input on child care laws

Queen’s Park – Today NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson said the Liberal government used time allocation measures to prevent  communities outside Toronto from having their say on pending childcare legislation after the Liberals voted against an NDP amendment that would have allowed public input outside the city.

“You said you were going to engage the public in the decisions that face this Legislature. How can you not allow people outside of the city to have their say on very important bills?” said Bisson.

 

Bisson urged the Premier not to shut down open debate by ramming through the Liberal legislation with unnecessary time allocation measures in the Legislature. Instead of responding she passed the question to Liberal House Leader Yasir Naqvi  who defended the heavy-handed procedural measures.

Bisson said, “Why is it that you’re time allocating when the opposition is not even holding up the legislation.  All we want to do is give the public an opportunity to have their say.” 

The NDP amendment would have allowed the Child Care committee to travel for up to five days outside of Toronto for public hearings. 

Premier Wynne and all the Liberal MPPs in the House today voted against allowing communities outside Toronto their input on child care laws in this province. 

 

Those MPPs include:

Michael Gravelle (Thunder Bay – Superior North)

Sophie Kiwala (Kingston and the Islands)

Deborah Matthews (London North Centre)

Bill Mauro (Thunder Bay – Atikokan)

David Orazietti (Sault Ste. Marie)

Daiene Vernile (Kitchener Centre)