ODA Committee Brief on Bill 125

ODA Committee Proposed Amendments to Bill 125

Appendices to the ODA Committee Brief on Bill 125

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COMMITTEE RELEASES ITS FINAL BRIEF TO THE
ONTARIO LEGISLATURE ON BILL 125

On November 29, 2001, the ODA Committee's seventh birthday, we delivered our brief on Bill 125 to the Legislatures Standing Committee on Finance. Despite the unbelievably rushed timetable that the Government has imposed on us, we have done our very best to incorporate the feedback that so many have taken the time to provide. We thank all who helped in this brief's preparation, including all who have sent us their specific feedback on the bill and all who have shared with us over the years their stories about the barriers they have encountered. Where we have not been able to incorporate your feedback, we encourage you to put your ideas forward before the Standing Committee either in a presentation in person or in your own written submission to that Committee.

Our brief is in three parts. The first part is the actual brief. It is around four pages long. It is easy to print up, copy and circulate widely. It summarizes all we have to say. If you do not have the time to read all the subsequent materials, you will find this a quick summary.

The second part is our package of detailed amendments. It is around 30 pages long. It has been fine-tuned in light of feedback we received on our draft package of amendments that we previously circulated.

The third part is a bundle of eight appendices to this brief. It provides the extensive analysis which supports the brief and the package of amendments. It is about 60 pages long. The This includes analyses of the bill from several standpoints, a collection of Government statements that support our call for the ODA to be strong and mandatory, a document showing that the proposed new provincial Advisory Council is similar to an advisory council that the current Government abolished, and a record of the Government's commitments regarding the ODA. The other appendices are materials we have sent out in the past, namely the Legislature's resolution adopting our 11 principles for the ODA, our 1998 blueprint on the ODA, and two newspaper columns on the ODA by former justices on the Supreme Court of Canada.

We believe that this comprehensive package will be helpful to the Standing Committee. We hope you like these, and welcome your feedback. We urge one and all to show their support for strong amendments to Bill 125 to the Standing Committee, your MPP and the public.