Ontario Human rights Reform - A call to Action
Raise Bill 107 in Feb 8 2007 Ontario By-Elections
January 26, 2006
SUMMARY
With the holidays now behind us, we're fully back in action! Here's our first
update. Future updates will give you more information on the final days leading
to the enactment of Bill 107, and next steps regarding consultation on the
Bill's implementation.
Here is our first update for the new year. Three provincial by-elections have
been called for February 8, 2007. These are in the southern Ontario ridings of
Burlington, Markham, and York South-Weston. We encourage everyone in those
ridings, and everyone who knows anyone in those ridings, to raise Bill 107 in
these by-elections. For some tips on how to do this, check out our tip sheet
from last September's Toronto area by-election. Visit:
http://www.aodaalliance.org/reform/update-083106.asp
For a handy 1-page leaflet that you can print up and distribute in those
ridings, or at all-candidates' debates, or forward via email to friends, visit:
http://www.defendhumanrights.org/index.htm
Urge voters to take into account the need for strong public enforcement of human
rights when they choose how to cast their votes.
The three political parties agreed that Ontario's backlogged, under-funded
system for enforcing human rights was broken and needed to be fixed. However,
the three parties disagreed on whether the controversial Bill 107 would make
things better or worse. The three political parties' positions last year on Bill
107 are:
Liberals: The Liberals brought forward and used their majority to pass
Bill 107. It took away the right of discrimination victims to a public
investigation of their human rights complaints. It largely privatized human
rights enforcement. It reneged on the McGuinty Government's understanding with
Ontario's disability community, regarding effective enforcement of the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It didn't fulfill the
Government's commitment that it would guarantee free independent legal counsel
to all human rights complainants.
The McGuinty Government promised that all who wanted would get a chance to make
a presentation at public hearings before the Legislature on Bill 107. After
these public hearings were advertised and scheduled, and some were held, the
McGuinty Government used its majority to invoke "closure" via the McGuinty
Muzzle Motion. It shut down the public hearings and denied many the opportunity
to present that they were promised.
NDP and Conservatives: The NDP and Conservatives voted against Bill 107,
because it was so flawed. They voted against the McGuinty Muzzle Motion, and
urged the Government to hold full public consultations before introducing human
rights reform legislation. At the request of various community groups, they each
voiced concerns with Bill 107 that many in the community had voiced. They each
proposed a series of amendments to protect Ontario's public human rights
enforcement system. The McGuinty Government used its majority to defeat these
amendments.
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