by SUSAN MANN
People wanting a government review of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ authority have vowed to continue fighting despite losing a key resolution at Queen’s Park last week.
Proposed by Newmarket Aurora Tory MPP Frank Klees, the private member’s resolution calling for the review was defeated Thursday afternoon with 17 MPPs voting in favour and 24 opposed.
David Honey, a farmer and president of the Niagara Landowners’ Association, says “this is something that’s going to be continuing. We’re going to keep on putting the pressure on them because the OSPCA just has too many powers.”
Honey, who was in the Queen’s Park visitors’ gallery to hear the debate, says about the vote that the “Liberal government just stacked the cards.”
Klees says it’s an understatement to say he’s disappointed with the vote’s results. “It’s extremely frustrating when we had overwhelming evidence presented to the legislature for the need of a review and reform of this OSPCA structure.”
The Liberal MPPs all opposed the resolution because they were instructed on how to vote by the Premier’s office, Klees says. “I believe they allowed partisan and political motivation to override what is the right thing to do here.”
Spokespeople for Premier Dalton McGuinty didn’t return calls by the deadline for this posting.
Three Liberals were among the 17 MPPs who voted in favour of the review.
“Attacking and condemning the OSPCA is not going to make it better for animals in the long run,” Eglinton-Lawrence MPP Mike Colle (Liberal) says in the legislature’s official transcript, Hansard. He called for ways of making animal protection “more meaningful, more comprehensive and more effective.”
Richmond Hill resident Sunny Reuter, who advocates for rural victims of the OSPCA, says instead of trying to convince the government of the need for the review people should focus their efforts on changing the party in power when the next election rolls around in October 2011.
Klees says the Conservatives have promised to review the OSPCA’s power and authority if they’re elected.
Honey says Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is in his riding and “I will ride on him until he does (do the review).”
More than 100 people from across Ontario were in the visitors’ gallery to hear the debate. Klees says it was the largest turnout of people in the gallery for any private member’s business in the 15 years he has been an MPP.
In contrast, just 41 MPPs, which is less than half of the legislature’s 107 members, were at Queen’s Park for the resolution’s one-hour debate and vote. Some MPPs only attended the vote.
Klees says the movement of private member’s business to Thursday afternoon from Thursday morning shows the disrespect Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government has for private members. He says most MPPs leave for their ridings by Thursday at noon to be available for constituency business on Fridays. And that’s why there weren’t many MPPs in the legislature during his resolution’s debate and vote. BF
Comments
further proof that this Liberal government has a total disconnect from the people of this province. As a formal Liberal voter ( as of the next election ) I can not wait to get rid of these bumbling clowns
I am writing to voice my tremendous disappointment at this government's
lack of concern regarding the OSPCA's lack of transparency and
accountability, and the lack of government oversight over the OSPCA and the
welfare of Ontario's animals. On November 18, MPP Frank Klees gave
irrefutable proof of the OSPCA's inability to adequately enforce animal
welfare regulations under it's jurisdiction, and cited several examples of
how time and time again, the OSPCA has bullied Ontario citizens, and
conducted abuse of it's self policing power. The health and welfare of
animals is a public good and must be overseen and taken seriously by the
government, particularly since Bill 50 has afforded this Registered Charity
self policing powers, with accountability to no one, including the Dept of
Justice, it's donors or anyone else, all while dependent on donations to
function. It is absolutely ludicrous that a Registered Charity with self
policing powers is accountable to no one, and is even exempt from the
Freedom of Information Act. During MPP Frank Klees presentation, many
examples of the abuses committed against Ontario Citizens, and their pets
were presented; and taking into consideration that many Ministers were not
present to hear these cases of abuse of power, or any of MPP Frank Klees
presentation I have to question how they were able to responsibly cast
their vote, when they did not even think it important enough to hear all
the facts beforehand. This in itself is a slap in the face of Ontario
voters. That, furthermore, they deliberately decided to make this a
political issue, and vote party lines, as opposed to listen to their
constituents wishes, is certainly not exemplary behaviour that we as
Ontario voters expect from out elected representatives.
MPP Frank Klees clearly, through his many case examples, has proven
OSPCA's inspectors are not adequately trained for the powers given them.
I am sure you are aware of the public outrage toward the events that
transpired the day of Mr. Klees Resolution vote. We are outraged at the PC
and NDP members of Parliament who left before the vote was to be taken, as
we had been promised they would be there. We are outraged the Liberal Party
decided to make this a political issue, when it is not. We are outraged the
Liberals are playing politics with our animals. We are outraged that
Members of Parliament have a legislated duty to represent the Citizens who
have entrusted them to represent us in the Legislature, and yet beyond all
measures of common sense, chose not to do so. We are embarrassed for the
Legislature. While other countries are making animal welfare a priority,
Canada is out of step, and the Provincial Government seems content with the
status quo. We, the voting public, are not. Rest assured we will be
watching closely how each and every single member deal with these issues
from today, until Oct 6th, 2011. While we will vote accordingly next fall,
in the meantime we do not intend to wait until after the election for our
MPP's to act. The simple fact is that thousands of animal's lives are at
stake TODAY, and we will educate the voting public that since the current
government has shown through its actions that it is indifferent to this
fact, it is now up to us as Ontario voters to act accordingly and represent
those animals that can not speak for themselves.
Will you have a seat after the next election? That is up to us, and rest
assured we will not rest until we are certain that those we place in power
next year will take the plight of Ontario animals seriously.
Paulette Young
Elora, Ontario
The case couldn't be stated any better than by Paulette Young of Elora; the McGuinty Liberals and many other MPPs have shown their lack of conscience and compassion for our animals...not to mention their distain for the will of many thousands who have pleaded for the changes asked for...an unprecedented act of cowardice and callousness!
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