Autism In Ontario Election 2007

Autism appears to be an impact issue in the current Ontario election campaign. On the first day of October, which is the Autism Awareness month in Canada, the Globe and Mail has an article on autism in the campaign which also highlights NDP candidate and autism mother Nancy Morrison. Ms. Morrison is the mother to whom Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty promised help for autistic children in the 2003 campaign before breaking the promise and fighting parents of autistic children in court.

"Mr. McGuinty promised in the letter to end the previous Progressive Conservative government's "unfair and discriminatory" practice of cutting off funding when children turned 6. "These children need - and deserve - our help and support," the letter says.

The problem for Mr. McGuinty is that Ms. Morrison kept her end of the bargain and he didn't."

- Karen Howlett, Globe and Mail, Plight of Autistic Children Resonates in Campaign

It would be great if the NDP or Conservative Parties formed the government, or held the balance of power in a minority government. A lot could change in the week and a half left in the election campgain. Right now though it is looking like another McGuinty Majority. And that would mean 4 years of keeping the pressure on Dalton McGuinty to provide real help for autistic children. If that happens then, hopefully, Nancy Morrison will be sitting as an MPP in the Ontario Legislature to see to it that Mr. McGuinty provides real help to autistic children.

Facing Autism in New Brunswick Hesitant Ontario Election Prediction - 4 More years of McGuinty and more broken autism promises.

Hopeful Note - I also picked Bob Rae to win the Liberal Party nomination, Ottawa to beat Anaheim in the Stanley Cup finals last spring, and France to beat Italy for the World Cup.

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Autism Mom Nancy Morrison Gets Political

Nancy Morrison is the NDP candidate for York-Simcoe in the Ontario Election 2007. She is also the mother of two children, including eight year old son Sean who is autistic. Nancy is the "autism mom" who wrote to then Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty during the last Ontario provincial election campaign asking for help for her autistic son. Mr McGuinty promised to help. You know the rest of the story. Promise broken. Court fights to prevent families from obaining services for their autistic children. Court costs pursued against the families of autistic children that Mr McGuinty had promised to help.

Nancy is not taking the Promise Breaker's betrayal lying down. She is getting political in a big way, running as the NDP candidate for York-Simcoe in the Ontario Election. She has herself gone out on a limb and stated that she has full confidence in Howard Hampton and the NDP autism platform:

"I have been in discussion with him about what they will be doing, and I want the party to be able to release their stuff when they choose to release it," Morrison said.

Asked how other parents with autistic children can trust the party when they don't know what's planned, Morrison replied: "They will know what the party plans to do in the next two days ... I am very reassured. I have no worries at all about what the platform will be with the NDP."

Good luck on October 10th Nancy!

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No Autism Proposals, So Far, In Ontario Election

Autism, not surprisingly, has become a hot issue in the Ontario election with both opposition parties slamming Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty's notorious about face on autism as reported in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. But so far there has been little indication of autism plans or proposals put forth by any of the parties. That could change in the next few days though, according to the report in the Toronto Star , which noted that NDP leader Howard Hampton, after slamming McGuinty, still wasn't ready to announce his party's autism plans:

Hampton had no problem putting his $7.50 in Gabison's bowl but he wasn't willing to say exactly what his party would do for autistic children if elected.

Parents will have to wait "a couple of days" to hear his plans, he said.

...

Nancy Morrison - who received the promise letter from McGuinty in the last election — is now the NDP candidate in York Simcoe.

Parents will like what they hear from Hampton on autism, she said.

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