Autism Dart In Ontario Politics

Autism has become a handy dart to be thrown by the opposition at Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. The Promise Breaker opened himself up to attacks on his character by his stunning reversal on his pledge to aid autistic children, even going to court to fight the parents of autistic children he had pledged to help. The Premier had no qualms about giving money out to other groups even giving $1 Million in taxpayer funds to a cricket club that had asked for only $150,000. Now Conservative Opposition leader John Tory is throwing darts, including an autism dart, at the Promise Breaker. In Tories on the Attack the Toronto Sun reports:

The John Tory Conservatives took to the radio airwaves yesterday with a series of negative ads tackling the record of the Dalton McGuinty government.

In one spot on the so-called Colle-gate scandal, Tory talks about a controversial $1-million grant to a cricket club that had asked for $150,000. The Opposition leader criticizes the Liberals for sending taxpayer dollars to some groups that later revealed Grit connections.

"Mr. McGuinty just sent your money to his friends while kids with autism, families without doctors and farmers in trouble were told there was none," Tory says in one of five different ads.

The Promise Breaker deserves the heat he is getting for his betrayal of parents of autistic children but those parents should look for more than attack ads from Tory's Tories on the autism front. They would be wise, despite being betrayed by the Promise Breaker last time around, to again seek clear commitments from ALL party leaders on their autism plans. Then they will at least have something they can use to hold the next Premier accountable. Autism should be treated by all leaders like the serious matter that it is; not just an election dart to be thrown at political adversaries - no matter how much they deserve it.