Just received this email from the office Lisa MacLeod
Thank you for signing our petition on Bill 10. On Monday public hearings will begin, yet many will be excluded from participating. Therefore, in addition to our petition, Steve Clark, Official Opposition House Leader, and Garfield Dunlop, Official Opposition Education Critic, sent the following letter to Yasir Naqvi, Government House Leader, indicating the PC Caucus will pursue a Unanimous Consent Motion asking for the Committee to travel across Ontario for the next two weeks. Please take the time to read this letter and feel free to share it.
Kindest Regards,
Lisa MacLeod
November 14, 2014
Hon. Yasir Naqvi
MPP Ottawa Centre
Government House Leader
Room 223, Main Legislative Building, Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A2
Dear Minister Naqvi,
We are writing on behalf of parents and independent child care operators from across Ontario, who demand to have their voices heard about your government’s Bill 10 - The Childcare Modernization Act.
The Ontario PC Caucus share their concerns that Bill 10 will eliminate 140,000 child care spaces, increase the cost of child care by 30-40%, and put independent child care operators out of business - all without improving child protection, which your government alleges this bill is about. That is why our colleague MPP Lisa MacLeod filed an amendment to your closure motion that the Standing Committee on Social Policy travel to Hamilton, Guelph, Ottawa, Kitchener, London, Windsor, Sudbury and Toronto in order to better understand the consequences of Bill 10. Unfortunately, your majority defeated that appeal and in doing so has shut out critical voices on the childcare debate in Ontario.
As you are aware, Bill 10 will affect parents, children, independent child care operators - both licensed and unlicensed, Montessori Schools, Independent and Religious Schools and childcare for First Nations children. The Ontario PC Caucus not only opposes Bill 10 because of these far reaching impacts to childcare, but we also oppose the closure of debate on childcare and the lack of public consultation; especially in communities who are already underserviced in childcare, and who stand to lose the most as a result of Bill 10.
Given your insistence that Bill 10 pass before December 11, 2014, which coincides with the end of the Fall Session, we are proposing a Unanimous Consent Motion on Monday, November 17,
before Question Period that would extend public hearings to the communities listed above in the next two weeks, and allow clause by clause and Third Reading to occur before the end of session. We are asking for your cooperation because it is the right thing to do.
We await your response.
Steve Clark, MPP Garfield Dunlop, MPP
Official Opposition House Leader Official Opposition Education Critic
CC: Mr. Bisson, MPP, Third Party House Leader
Lisa MacLeod Ontario PC Leadership Campaign · Canada
