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Ontario Government's
New ODA Bill 125
Ontario Hansard Wednesday, November 7, 2001

ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES LEGISLATION

Mr Doug Galt (Northumberland): My question is for the Minister of
Citizenship. Minister, Monday was indeed a landmark day in
Ontario's legislative history with your introduction of the
Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. Soon after you tabled the
bill, Liberal Leader of the Opposition Dalton McGuinty rose to his
feet to congratulate you and the government. I also extend my
congratulations along with my peers: a great job on a very
difficult task.

While Mr McGuinty admitted he hadn't had time to review the
legislation, the opposition leader said he would be looking to
ensure that it reflected the 11 principles unanimously supported by
the members of this Legislature. Minister, I'm concerned. Does the
legislation reflect those 11 principles voted upon in this
House, and does it indeed have any substance?

Hon Cameron Jackson (Minister of Citizenship, minister
responsible for seniors): First of all, I want to thank all members
of the House who participated in the debate that
developed the 11 principles, and I want to reassure the House that
the 11 principles were followed very carefully in the
drafting of this legislation. For the first time in Ontario's
history, it creates a full-time agency of the government of Ontario
to coordinate and implement this new legislation. It gives full
force and effect, something never before done in Canada, to the
disabilities community so they have a voice and a say as we develop
the regulations on an access council for
Ontario. It includes all sectors of our economy, something that was
very important. It covers goods and services and purchasing habits
of all levels of government. It covers public education, an
important component as the public understands the needs of the
disabled. Mandatory provisions will be prescribed in regulations as
set out in the 11 principles. This is leading-edge legislation in
this country, something this government is very proud of.

Mr Galt: Despite some criticisms of the legislation introduced on
Monday, it is my understanding that it has the full support and
backing of many persons with disabilities and a significant number
of major organizations that work on behalf of persons with
disabilities.

On Monday, after your statement, I had the opportunity to meet with
various members of the disabled community. I can assure you that
not only were they supportive, they were also very
complimentary of this legislation. Minister, what was the
reaction within the disabled community to the tabling of this
legislation?

Hon Mr Jackson: It was very evident on Monday, with the presence of
about 30 different organizations representing disability
stakeholders in our province. Duncan Read, the past president of
the Ontario March of Dimes, indicated that it was a historic moment
for the disabled community and should allow them to
eventually participate fully as citizens in our society. Dean
LaBute, who's a member of the ODAC committee from Windsor, said,
"This legislation offers an unprecedented level of commitment that
will effect change and move us toward a barrier-free
society." Bill Adair from the Canadian Paraplegic Association said,
"Basically it's a real win."

I think members of the Canadian Paraplegic Association in Ontario
are excited, as is the Ontarians with Disabilities Committee. We're
all excited. This is a real milestone for the disabled citizens of
Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon Gary Carr): New question. The member for Sault Ste
Marie.

Mr Tony Martin (Sault Ste Marie): Minister, let me give you another
perspective. Our review of this bill indicates that your government
has once again broken its promise to the 1.6 million people in this
province living with disabilities. You've let the private sector
totally off the hook. The little you've asked of the municipalities
comes with no resources, no money and no ability to enforce. My
question to you today, on behalf of those 1.6 million individuals
in Ontario living with disabilities, is, what really has changed?
How is the life of the average disabled Ontarian going to improve
under this act?

Hon Mr Jackson: Very clearly, there are huge gains for the
disabled community in this legislation. For the first time in
Ontario's history we are going to mandate compliance with
accessibility standards. Standards, I might point out to all
members of this House, do not exist in this province or in this
country. The first thing that has to happen is those standards have
to be created. They will be created by the disabilities community
of this province because this government's made an unprecedented
commitment to them that they will help us make those regulations.

This government is very proud of its commitment. When we entered
office, we were spending less than $5 billion on the disabled in
this province. Today, we're spending $6 billion, a $1-billion
increase from this government. That's a tangible commitment to
persons with disabilities in this province.

Finally, I want to share with the member opposite that the
private sector is specifically named in this legislation, and the
regulations we will create together will cover each and every
sector of this province. That is a promise made by the Mike Harris
government, and we'll keep that promise.

Mr Martin: Minister, I sure hope you're right, because 1.6
million disabled Ontarians have been waiting for six years for you
to deliver on this promise. The only hope I can see for this bill
is that you agree with us today to extensive and fully accessible
public hearings across this province. You can't buy groceries at
Queen's Park and you don't go out for dinner at the Ministry of
Transportation offices. We need to hear from all of the people.
They've waited for over six years. A few token cities won't cut it,
Minister. Will you commit right here and now to
widespread and travelling hearings and to listen to the people of
this province where this bill is concerned?

Hon Mr Jackson: I'm very surprised to hear from the member
opposite and the approach he's taking. I read in the newspaper the
other day that your leader, Howard Hampton, all of a sudden now is
prepared to commit, as he suggests, $1 billion on this agenda.

You ask what's happened. I'm asking you, for the last five years of
the NDP government, what did you do to help persons with
disabilities in this province? Absolutely nothing, and now, all of
a sudden -- this government is going to commit millions of dollars
toward this agenda.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Order. Member for Sault Ste Marie, come to order
please. You have asked the question. Now is the time for the
answer. Sorry, Minister.

Hon Mr Jackson: This government has implemented leading-edge
legislation for disabled persons on this continent that we're proud
of. We are committing real dollars to its improvement. I want to
ask you to look into your soul as to what you did for five years
and why you didn't even have five cents for Gary Malkowski and his
disability bill. He was a member of your own caucus. Your leader
was the Attorney --

The Speaker: Order. The minister's time is up