ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES LEGISLATION

Mr Ernie Parsons (Prince Edward-Hastings): In 1998 this House
unanimously supported a resolution by the member from Windsor-St
Clair to establish 11 principles for an Ontarians with
Disabilities Act. June, which is approaching, next month, will
mark the sixth anniversary since the Premier committed to passing
an ODA act. In that time the citizens of Ontario have continued
to suffer.

There is an obligation, as we have been reminded through the
media in the past several weeks, for an MPP to meet with each and
every constituent and to advocate for each and every constituent.
The Premier has on 27 occasions refused in writing to meet with
the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee. When they were
just down the hallway here, the Premier refused to go down the
hallway and meet with them. But now he is in Switzerland
committing to provide accessible accommodation and accessible
services for the participants in the Paralympics that will happen
here in 2008, hopefully.

Excellent idea. Great idea. It's long overdue that we commit to
that. But if the Premier can commit to support the removal of
barriers for visitors to the Olympics in 2008, surely he can take
and remove the barriers for the citizens of Ontario. He has an
obligation as Premier, whether he believes in a group or not or
whether he supports a group or not, to meet with each and every
citizen. I demand that the Premier find five minutes of time
while he's in town to meet with the ODA committee.