Community Living Ontario

Prorogued Legislature bad news for select committee: Gordon Kyle
Wednesday October 24, 2012 – Sheila Kirouac
With Dalton McGuinty’s proroguing of the Ontario Legislature, all the legislative work in progress is dissolved, including all committees of the legislature.

This fall, the legislature adopted a resolution presented by Whitby-Oshawa MPP Christine Elliott to strike a select committee charged with developing a strategy for addressing the issues facing people who have an intellectual disability and their families.
With Ontario’s political parties agreeing the future of the developmental services sector was a priority, Gordon Kyle was hopeful the needs of people who have an intellectual disability would get more attention

“We were pleased to see all parties agreeing on priority of the future of the developmental services,” says Kyle, Community Living Ontario’s director of social policy and government relations.

For the past few years, Community Living Ontario has been calling on the government to develop a long-term strategy to meet the growing number of people and families who need support and to advance inclusion.

“With the legislature prorogued, the progress is stalled” Kyle says. “We need to call for an all party agreement again that a select committee on the future of developmental services is a priority when the legislature returns.”

The fact that all parties agreed this fall was a good sign; it shows there’s an understanding and a commitment to the issue from all parties, Kyle notes.  “I am hopeful that all parties will agree on it again when the legislature returns.”

As for the future, “we want to see a select committee implemented,” Kyle says. “It would be a huge step for us.”

With all parties collectively recognizing the needs facing the developmental services sector, “think about how much stronger our advocacy could be.”

For more information, visit Community Living Ontario’s Facebook page.