Tory Pledges $75 Million To Clear Ontario Autism Wait Lists

The National Post reports that Ontario Conservative Leader John Tory has pledged to clear Ontario's autism wait lists. He has pledged $75 million to clear the lists in 2 years stating that experts have told him it would take at least 2 years to clear the wait lists. The National Post article quotes Autism Canada President David Patchell-Evans as saying that he trusts Tory because he is a businessman. Personally, I suspect that all of the leaders will keep their autism pledges after the grief Liberal leader McGuinty suffered over his broken pledge and betrayal of autistic children and their families.

On an interesting note the National Post indicates that the Liberals lead 41% to the Tories 33% and the NDP 18%. I am not a political analyst but I understand that the Conservatives fumbled badly with the denominational schools issue and stalled any momentum that might have been building. If they have recovered and pick up steam it could suggest a minority government - with NDP holding the balance of power. In any event, with both the Conservatives and the NDP making strong autism pledges this election seems to hold promise for the future of autistic children in Ontario.

What about the kids with autism who you fought in court, using taxpayers money?

What about the kids with autism who you fought in court, using taxpayers money?

- Conservative leader John Tory to Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty

Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty took a lot of heat during the Ontario leaders debate this evening over his record of broken promises during his first term as Premier of Ontario including the shot from Conservative John Tory above. McGuinty's broken autism promise was also featured in the Conservative leader's opening statement video which featured Tory with a mother of an autistic child who accused McGuinty of breaking his promise to help her child. Tory says : "Broken promises have consequences for families like Kathy's. I want to earn your trust."

Hopefully, autism will not be just a political attack point during the election. Hopefully, all party leaders will remember the autism issue when the next Government of Ontario is seated.

Autism Promise Breaker - Can He Be Trusted?

Autism Promise Breaker, Ontario Liberal leader, and current Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, is being ripped for his infamous broken autism pledge by his opponent, Conservative Leader John Tory, in the press release which follows this comment. McGuinty did not just break his autism pledge, he fought tooth and nail the very parents of autistic children he had pledged to help. Can Dalton McGuinty be trusted - by anyone? Ontario voters will answer that question in Ontario Election 2007.








Photo - CBC



JOHN TORY 2007 CAMPAIGN:

Dalton McGuinty's Record on Autism

    TORONTO, Sept. 7 /CNW/ - For a politician who claims he wants to run on
his record and who claims that he's "being straight with people," Dalton
McGuinty sure has a funny way of showing it.

 <<>>

 Now, on the eve of an election, Dalton McGuinty is making yet another
promise to children with autism. And if, as he's so fond of saying, the best
predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, then why should the parents
of autistic children trust Dalton McGuinty?

 Leadership Matters.

For further information: Mike Van Soelen, (647) 722-1760

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.