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January 12, 1989

34th Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

L129 - Thur 12 Jan 1989 / Jeu 12 jan 1989

ORDERS OF THE DAY

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ PUBLIC BUSINESS

LONG-TERM PLANNING

LIMITATIONS AMENDMENT ACT

LONG-TERM PLANNING

LIMITATIONS AMENDMENT ACT

AFTERNOON SITTING

VISITORS

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

SALE OF CIGARETTES TO MINORS

JILL PATTERSON AND DONNA BEGGS

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE TOWN COUNCIL

TVONTARIO

POLICE OFFICERS

SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD

RETAIL STORE HOURS

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

SCHOOL OPENING AND CLOSING EXERCISES AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

TECHNOLOGY FUND

ARTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT

RESPONSES

ARTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT

SCHOOL OPENING AND CLOSING EXERCISES AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT

ORAL QUESTIONS

NURSING SERVICES

RETAIL STORE HOURS

POLICE SHOOTING

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

HOME CARE

RETAIL STORE HOURS

HOME CARE

MUNICIPAL-INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY FOR ABATEMENT

DRUG ABUSE

TEACHERS

LAND RECORDS

MUNICIPAL FUNDING

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

NORTHERN ONTARIO HERITAGE FUND

TRAINING FOR FIREFIGHTERS

FISHING LICENCE REVENUES

NOTICE OF DISSATISFACTION

PETITIONS

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY

HOME CARE

REPORT BY COMMITTEE

STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

INTRODUCTION OF BILL

MUNICIPAL AMENDMENT ACT

ORDERS OF THE DAY

METROPOLITAN TORONTO POLICE FORCE COMPLAINTS AMENDMENT ACT

POLICE AND SHERIFFS STATUTE LAW AMENDMENT ACT

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

The House met at 10 am.

Prayers.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ PUBLIC BUSINESS

LONG-TERM PLANNING

Mr. Adams moved resolution 55:

That, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario be commended for such actions as establishing the Premier’s Council and the environment council which demonstrate an awareness of the importance of strategic, long-term planning; and that, in keeping with this commitment, and recognizing southern Ontario is experiencing growth as rapid as any in the world, the Premier should establish, at the earliest possible date, a high-profile inquiry similar to the Premier’s Council which will provide an overall co-ordinated strategy for growth for the whole province, and that this inquiry should

(

a) advise the government of the likely magnitude, alternative forms of, and means of accommodating future growth in the province;

(

b) examine the impact of the greater Toronto area’s unparalleled urban growth on outlying rural communities in the province;

(

c) consider the planning implications of this growth for rapidly growing smaller communities within a 300-kilometre radius of Metro;

(

d) recommend appropriate actions to ensure that development is sustainable, environmentally sound, and does not jeopardize the long-term interests of Ontarians; and

That adequate resources be allocated for such an inquiry.

The Deputy Speaker: Mr. Adams has moved the resolution standing in his name. The member has up to 20 minutes to make his presentation and may reserve any portion of those 20 minutes for the windup.

Mr. Adams: It is the intent of this resolution that the government take the lead in laying the foundations of a broad strategy for sustainable growth for the entire province.

We are in the midst of some of the most dramatic economic and urban growth we have seen. The population of the greater Toronto area has exploded to 3.7 million people and is growing at a rate of 50,000 people per year. We are talking about a new city almost the size of Peterborough every year. The stresses of such rapid growth are becoming more apparent daily. Stories about these stresses are appearing more often in the media.

But it is clear that growth on this scale is more than a Toronto issue. This growth is having an impact on communities which lie beyond the Metropolitan Toronto area. It affects the entire province. Many counties can expect to grow by up to 20 per cent in the next decade, and those closer to Toronto can expect growth of more than 50 per cent. Cities like Ottawa-Carleton are expanding rapidly. The growth of the greater Toronto area and other urban areas across the province is tremendous.

This burgeoning growth creates economic opportunity, but it places demands on the entire system. Growth creates jobs, but it also requires schools, housing, transportation, health care, social services and waste management facilities. Neither the public nor private sectors can keep pace.

I was pleased by the recent appointment of a deputy minister for the greater Toronto area. The GTA co-ordinating committee is working to maximize the benefits of growth in Metro. But these responses look at only one half of the growth picture. Unless action is taken now to prevent it, there is a danger of creating two Ontarios: Metro and the rest. This is an option that few would support. It would help neither residents of Metro nor those who live elsewhere.

Growth is not simply a Metro issue. Cities like Peterborough, London, Kingston, Windsor and Sudbury stand at crossroads of development. Choices these cities make in their development strategies affect the whole province, including Toronto.

For example, if a community like Peterborough adopts a strategy to become simply a bedroom community, who will benefit? Peterborough? Personally, I do not think so. Metro? I doubt that Metro could handle an additional 25,000 commuters daily, nor should it. Would the places between Peterborough and Toronto benefit? I doubt it. It would not take long for the remaining agricultural and environmentally significant lands and communities between Peterborough and Toronto to be swallowed up.

Cities like Peterborough could decide to take on other specialized roles. They could become resorts serving exhausted Torontonians or havens for senior citizens. I doubt that either of these specialities would benefit Peterborough, Toronto, tourists or seniors. These are the kinds of choices communities, large and small, are facing. Planning in isolation is a very questionable enterprise. Alternative means of accommodating growth need to be examined from a provincial perspective.

Peterborough’s development assets are considerable. The city’s good transportation links, its stable and skilled labour supply, its growing cultural community, its post-secondary institutions and its health care and tourist sectors should make it sufficiently resilient to adapt to the sweeping forces of growth and change. Surely we should nurture independent, diverse communities like this.

Rural areas and smaller communities are also facing development options which will significantly shape the future of Ontario. Villages like Millbrook and Cavan and townships like Ennismore and Smith, with their strong agricultural heritage, are changing. At a recent farm auction, I heard one farmer commenting on the teacher who had just bought the property. He said, “Pretty soon, all we’ll have out here are PhDs and weeds,” and there is a great deal of truth in that.

The proposed inquiry will assist in equipping farmers with information they need to stay in business. It will ensure that our agricultural heritage is not lost in the rush to become what some people think of as world-class. Could there be an enduring world-class community in Canada without a sound agricultural base?

Ontario is changing and it is changing quickly. The daily challenges created by frenetic growth absorb the energies of this House, other levels of government, the private sector and others, to the point where we have no time for planning ahead, for developing a clearer vision for our future.

Yet decisions of today define policy options for tomorrow. All individuals and organizations interested in the future of Ontario need to step back and together develop a broad strategy for real growth that can be sustainable, environmentally sound and promote the long-term interests of all Ontarians.

It is time to ask, as a province, “What kind of Ontario do we want?” Critics of this resolution might well ask, “What will an inquiry accomplish?” Inquiries need not and should not be passive exercises. Indeed, good inquiries can create significant change by their very process. Inquiries have several phases, each of which creates ripples. There are ripples created by initiating the inquiry as now. There are ripples created as the inquiry conducts investigations, when it seeks public comment, when it reports and when the implementation of its recommendations occurs.

By the time any good inquiry is completed, the creativity of thousands has been involved. A good inquiry can stimulate interest and action across society. I cite as an example the Brundtland World Commission on Environment and Development. Within a very short period, it has brought environmental issues to the forefront around the world. People from all walks of life are considering environmental issues for the first time.

Ideas from that report are percolating among major decision-makers. Its key themes and concepts are entering everyday conversation. Indeed, this resolution is one small ripple of that commission. People from across the province must have the opportunity to shape the Ontario of the future. Without province-wide input, we will get only an incomplete vision of that future.

An example of this is Toronto’s current craving for world-class status. Toronto does indeed possess many world-class attributes, but its rate of growth is threatening these very qualities. For Toronto to become a viable world-class city, it is imperative that the implications of its growth be carefully considered in an Ontario-wide context. Without proper forethought, uncontrolled urban sprawl like that of Mexico City is a frightening but real possibility.

The environmental, social, economic and political effects of such a transformation are truly formidable. The world-class city that I prefer is a much smaller urban area. It is part of a widespread net of other substantial urban centres. These centres will be separated by well-defined areas of rural economic activity which will ensure the preservation of important environmental features.

With proper linkages and decentralization of functions, cities such as Peterborough, London, Windsor and Kingston and their surrounding areas can thrive as independent centres to the benefit of the province as a whole, including Metropolitan Toronto. The world-class city of the 21st century must be economically competitive but must also permit an enhanced, sustainable quality of life to its inhabitants.

It can only accomplish these two goals by being part of a network. In fact, it is the network of independent centres which will be world-class, not just the core. There can be no world-class Toronto without a world-class Ontario; hence the need for a province-wide inquiry.

On October 20, 1988, this House passed a resolution by the member for Oxford (Mr. Tatham) calling for an integrated rail transportation system. Our fine GO Transit system plays a vital role in commuting within the Metro area, but it inevitably leads to the filling in of spaces between stops. In a true intercity system the space between cities is seen as being as important as the city at either end of the railway line. An intercity system would foster real centres of excellence in viable regional settings. It is this sort of forward-looking strategy that the proposed inquiry could promote.

Some groups and individuals are already developing strategies for the future in one way or another. They should be commended for doing so. One example is the Premier’s Council, which is steering Ontario to the forefront of economic and technological innovation. Its activities have sparked the imagination of business, labour and other leaders.

Another example is the Thomson commission, which produced the Transitions report. Transitions looks at population and other trends and suggests new strategies for delivering social services in coming decades. It triggered a fundamental rethinking of social service delivery. Ripples of this are still affecting our ridings as people meet to discuss the report.

A more local example is a study undertaken by the greater Peterborough economic council, which is examining future growth scenarios for the city and surrounding areas. They have made the effort to think about the kind of community they want. My proposed inquiry will encourage others to do the same.

As we prepare for the next century, we can see that government can no longer be expected to act alone. Planning will require the fullest cooperation of all sectors of the community. The government cannot act alone in this matter of growth but it can act as a catalyst and so harness the creativity of the province. It can show leadership in developing strategies, which ensure the growth is balanced, sustainable and promotes the long-term interests of Ontarians. It is time we all asked, “What kind of Ontario do we want?”

The Deputy Speaker: Do other members wish to participate in the debate?

Mr. Laughren: I do indeed wish to take

part in the debate on the resolution presented by the member for Peterborough (Mr. Adams) on the planning for Ontario’s future.

I must say at the outset that while we support the Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy, which I think is the name that the member for Peterborough meant to refer to in his resolution but did not -- I take note of the member’s comments on the Brundtland commission as well, which did highlight environmental problems around the world -- I think there are some problems with the Premier’s round table.

One of its major members I believe is a United States citizen. I do not know whether that is supposed to mean that it is to accommodate the free trade agreement, which this government pretended to be opposed to as it spoke out of both sides of its mouth on that matter. I do not know if that is the reason.

Farm groups are underrepresented on the Premier’s Council and, of course, so is the north.

Mr. Cousens: Liberals are not, though.

Mr. Laughren: Yes, there are lots of Liberals on it. However, despite some of the problems, we supported the round table in principle.

In regard to this particular motion, I am going to strive and struggle in my remarks to take this resolution seriously. The member should know that the purpose of the Premier’s Council was, as I recall, to steer Ontario into the forefront of economic leadership and technological innovation. That was the purpose of the round table when it was formed in the Premier’s Council.

But when I look at what the Premier’s Council has done since it was formed in 1986 -- by the way, so that everyone understands, it was to spend $1 billion over 10 years. That was the financial allocation to the round table in the council, and the expenditure of that money was to be steered by the council itself. In 1986-87, out of the first year’s allocation of $100 million a year for 10 years, the council spent $1.7 million; it did not quite spend it all. It sounds like the allocations of the Minister of Housing (Ms. Hosek) to social housing.

In 1987-88, the following year, of $100 million it spent $20 million -- just a mite short again on its commitment -- and in 1988-89, the projected figure, as I understand it, is about $74 million. Out of the three years, we can see the kind of commitment the government has given to that council, despite all its fine words. Despite that, I am going to try very hard to take the member’s resolution very seriously.

I think we should look at the specific recommendations. If we are going to take the resolution seriously, we should look at the specific recommendations contained therein.

The first one is to establish “a high-profile inquiry similar to the Premier’s Council” which should advise the government of the likely magnitude of growth in the province. I suspected all along that the Ministry of Treasury and Economics was not doing anything and did not know what it was doing. What is the Treasurer and Minister of Economics for if not for that? However, I do not want to devalue the worth of the member’s resolution. I am going to work at taking this seriously.

The inquiry should also advise the government of alternative forms of growth. Excuse me, I thought that was what the Premier’s Council was all about. I do not know whether this is an attempt to undermine the Premier’s Council or the Ministry of Treasury and Economics. However, I do not want to devalue the member’s resolution.

The inquiry is to “examine the impact of the greater Toronto area’s unparalleled urban growth on outlying rural communities in the province.” I think we can take a look at the whole question of housing in Metropolitan Toronto if we want to look at the impact of the growth of Toronto on the outlying areas. We have in Toronto, as we speak, 20,000 homeless people and the Minister of Housing is underspending her social housing budget to the tune of over $90 million in the last two years. Does the government call that a commitment? It is a joke. As for vacant apartments in Toronto, you can find the odd one which rents for over $1,000 a month.

Instead of looking for alternative forms of growth, why is this government not doing something about the whole problem of public transportation here? I mentioned housing as well, and overcrowded schools in Metro. There are all sorts of things the government could be doing.

Another thing the inquiry would do would be to “consider the planning implications of this growth for rapidly growing smaller communities within a 300-kilometre radius of Metro,” which is almost 200 miles from Toronto.

If the member for Peterborough is truly serious -- and I hope he is, because I am trying to take his resolution seriously -- about growth in areas outside the Metropolitan area, why does he not have a talk with the Minister of Transportation (Mr. Fulton), who to this day will not make a commitment to four-lane highways to northern Ontario. He will not do it. He will not make a commitment to four-lane Highway 17 in the north or Highway 69 from Waubaushene to Sudbury or Highway 11 all the way to North Bay. He will not do it.

To talk about concern for developing growth outside the Golden Horseshoe is to make a ridiculous statement if the government is not going to back it up with some dollars to make sure that the means of developing the outlying areas in the province are possible. However, I do not want to devalue the worth of the member’s resolution, because I believe it is well intentioned.

I look at the whole question of economic development in the north. Put aside for a moment the highways that are necessary to get there. What about development within the north? We have been hammering the government over the head for 10 years to build a fertilizer plant in Sudbury, given the phosphates that are there and the acid that is there, the two major ingredients for that, and all it does is commission yet another study; always another study.

We have in Ontario a company in the Sudbury basin which has been digging nickel out and smelting it for not 100 years but more than 50 years in the Sudbury area. To this day they take that nickel out of the ground, the dangerous work; they smelt it, which is the dirty work; and they send it to Norway for refining. Does the government call that encouraging economic growth in other parts of Ontario? There is a new Mining Act coming in which says it is going to be continued. Does the government consider that a serious attempt to decentralize growth in the province?

Never mind. I am going to take this resolution at face value and really try to take it seriously, but I want to tell you, Mr. Speaker, if the members of the government party are going to take a Reagan-like approach to running Ontario and say: “Put a happy face on everything. Ignore the problems all around you and just put a happy face on it. Everything will be all right. After all, it is a minority of people who suffer out there” -- this is the only Reaganite Liberal Party in the free world, the only one there is.

Interjection.

Mr. Laughren: I respect the comments of the member for Essex-Kent (Mr. McGuigan), but putting a happy face on it is what I am talking about, because I think there is this belief out there that all they have to do is say that everything is okay and the majority of people will believe it is okay.

Mr. McGuigan: That is what the member is addressing.

Mr. Laughren: No. What the member is doing is pretending we are going to solve the problem with another study or another council. Well, excuse me, we are going to be councilled to death in the province with no action on the part of the government. That is what is going to happen.

lf I were a member of the government I would be offended, first, by the way the member is undermining the Premier’s Council by trying to take away its mandate with this high-profile inquiry; and second, by the way he is saying the Ministry of Treasury and Economics is not doing its job in Ontario. I happen to agree that the Ministry of Treasury and Economics is not doing its job, but I really am surprised that the member for Peterborough would stand in his place and condemn his own government’s actions in that regard.

Mr. Cousens: In responding to this resolution by the member for Peterborough, I would like to agree with the general thrust the honourable member is bringing forward in his resolution with regard to the need for an overall, coordinated strategy for the growth of Ontario and specifically the boom taking place in southern Ontario.

I am pleased that he recognizes, as I know we all do in this House, the seriousness of the impact this growth is having on Metropolitan Toronto and the greater Toronto area and the importance of having better co-ordination between Metropolitan Toronto and the surrounding regions. There has to be far more co-operation among all levels. The federal and provincial governments and the regional municipalities and cities really have to work together to solve these problems.

There are concerns affecting all of us in the province as we see the growth taking place in this area. We are seeing problems with the transportation networks. There is just no doubt that the congestion on the highways is getting worse. The public transit system is not meeting the needs of the people within the city and within the neighbouring areas. Air travel is becoming a mess; look at what is happening at Pearson International Airport. The maintenance of roads and highways is becoming a grave concern to everybody.

It begs the question: What is the Minister of Transportation doing? Why have another type of panel or council or advisory board if there are certain responsibilities which should be followed now by the Minister of Transportation that are going wanting?

What is happening with waste disposal? There is no doubt that we have a serious problem in and around Toronto. In fact, many municipalities in this province are facing the problems of no landfill sites and the need to expand the landfill sites they already have. There has to be some investigation of how we can have recycling made available to all residences all across the province, along with apartment buildings.

We know the need to promote the use of more biodegradable products. We also have to have a responsibility to the world need for the environment and, indeed, I recognize that the honourable member has referred to the Brundtland report and the importance of not allowing chlorofluorocarbons and other substances that are destroying the ozone layer.

It begs another question: What is the Minister of the Environment (Mr. Bradley) doing and what is the Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy doing? Why have another kind of panel or board when these responsibilities, which are important to all of us, are still going wanting?

We look at the need for affordable housing and we see the bureaucratic red tape in getting approvals in the process. We see the rent review fiasco. I look at the excellent work that is being done by our own Housing critic, the member for Nipissing (Mr. Harris). In fact, I see the Minister of Housing on the ropes in the way she is trying to defend what she is not doing; the failure to spend money the way it has been allocated and the failure to respond to the needs.

I have to ask the honourable member from Peterborough, why have another kind of panel or study when the existing Minister of Housing is already failing to do the job she has been given to do?

Municipal planning is a very important function that affects all the growth areas; in fact, every part of this province. Yet that very planning process is being thrown awry by virtue of some of the changes that the province is mandating upon municipalities, taking away their right to do zoning and planning themselves.

The Legislature has had a chance to look at Bill 128. It has been withdrawn; the government is not proceeding with it. Here is an opportunity for the government to do something about planning; yet nothing is happening in that regard. So it begs yet another question: What is the Minister of Municipal Affairs (Mr. Eakins) doing? Why then, also, have another board to look into it?

We are dealing with quality-of-life issues. I sense that the member for Peterborough understands the importance of having that quality of life. In fact, it would be dreadful if Toronto in any way ceases to be developed and supported and the infrastructure around this city is not maintained so that Toronto can continue to be a world-class city. The member wants to make it a world-class city. I think Toronto is already there and I think that what we have to do is realize that there are responsibilities the province has in helping to make that a continuing possibility.

There are already two councils that the member refers to in his resolution: There is the Premier’s Council and there is the environmental round table, and we have to ask whether or not these two bodies are just catchments for Liberals.

I know there are people on those bodies who are not Liberals, but I have to say there are identified Liberals on them, and I cannot identify any Conservatives. There is one token person from the labour groups, but I point out to the House that if we are going to have any appointments to different councils and different bodies, it would be far better if this government would start looking at balancing off the needs of the north, the needs of the south and the different political persuasions of people who can participate in this, rather than just putting in the friends of the Premier (Mr. Peterson) and some of the political supporters of that party.

When we start looking at the recommendations that have already come out of the Premier’s Council -- also, I have not seen too many reports come from the environmental round table, so that may be why the member for Peterborough does not mention that too much.

The recommendations in this province should really be co-ordinated with the federal government. Let’s never forget that we in Ontario are Canadians first and that we want to be working with our federal counterparts and we also want to work with the municipalities. Things that we do here should not be done in isolation of the other levels of government around us.

There are significant recommendations that have come out of the Premier’s Council and I support them: the need to revamp education, the need to do more retraining, the need to do strategic procurement processes for business, the need to support technology transfer. These are things that can be happening, yet they are not being done. Maybe by virtue of having them recommended something will begin to happen in the future. I do not know how far distant into the future, but indeed I know that there is a possibility of something happening.

In regard to the fact that the honourable member for Peterborough is suggesting through his resolution that we have another study group, we already have two of them, and I am wondering just how effective they have been and how much the different ministries that can be involved with the implementation of those recommendations are really taking them seriously.

We already have in the Metro area three different people who are responsible for specific functions that would overlap on this specific subject that is recommended in the resolution. First, we have Gardner Church, who is responsible for the greater Toronto area office. He reports to the Premier. Then we have another office, the greater Toronto co-ordinating committee, headed by Eric Fleming. I think that reports to Gardner Church. Then we have a third little group, again at the deputy minister level, a special adviser to the Premier on the waterfront, headed up by Duncan Allan.

We have three groups already that are doing much of the kind of things that are being suggested in this resolution, and I really have not heard a thing that came from them yet. I have had a chance to ask them questions in estimates and in the Legislature. I find it a mystery that here we are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars already in the support of these functions and these offices and there is just nothing to speak about yet.

Maybe what the honourable member for Peterborough is saying is, “They are not doing the job, so let’s find some other way of doing it.” That is not the way to solve problems. We in this province already have ministries that are responsible for certain things. We also have special task forces that are already doing what it is next to impossible to find out. There are many questions raised by the honourable member’s motion. I am asking the question instead, “Why create another level of bureaucracy?” Let’s get on with the job.

The Premier was elected with a mandate to do something on September 10, 1987, and I think it is obvious that there are cracks appearing in the walls.

We are seeing a breakdown taking place in the responses that are coming for people who are asking the Minister of Health (Mrs. Caplan), “What are you doing?” We have that minister failing to respond. The Minister of Housing was on the ropes yesterday, completely frustrated and unable to answer the questions that were being raised; and the same applies to the Solicitor General (Mrs. Smith).

We are seeing this government trying to deal with the problems of running business and keeping the province strong. Yet here we are saying, “Let’s have another study.” Maybe by having a study the government can take the tension away from all those who are failing to do the job they should be doing. I point to the Minister of Transportation; I point to the Minister of Housing; I point to the other ministers.

I am saying there is no need for another specific group like this to try to solve the problems. We have the problems, we know what they are, and if this government would take its job seriously it would begin to happen. The member closed his speech by asking, “What kind of Ontario do we want?” We want a good Ontario, and I think there are other ways of getting it done without his suggestion.

Miss Roberts: I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the resolution that has been brought forward by the member for Peterborough.

Elgin, the riding which I have the honour to represent, is approximately 190 kilometres from the core or the centre of the greater Toronto area and a mere 10 kilometres from the city of London. Elgin has a strong and meaningful agricultural heritage. The long expanse of the north shore of Lake Erie, which makes up the county of Elgin, enjoys some of the best agricultural lands in the province. This and excellent weather conditions, along with the industry of its inhabitants, have allowed the county to have a prosperous and competitive farming community. This base has also nurtured the city of St. Thomas, the town of Aylmer and smaller villages and hamlets throughout the county.

While the greater Toronto area has been the focus of much of the economic growth, rural communities like Elgin have not always benefited from the boom times in Ontario. The rapidly changing demographics, the explosion of technological innovations at all levels in our society, along with the change in international markets, are transforming the rural way of life and rural communities.

Ontario has many resources. Good agricultural land is one of the greatest resources any province or nation can possess. Without proper planning, uncontrolled urban sprawl can be disastrous. There must be a balance to allow the rural communities to develop and sustain healthy economies in the pressures of a global market.

Relationships between larger metropolitan areas and rural areas should be a partnership: development for mutual benefit and the mutual benefit of all. The greater Toronto area’s rapid and unparalleled urban growth has not had only a negative effect or impact on the communities outside its boundaries, nor has it had only a positive effect on the areas within itself. It is imperative that this growth within all areas of the province continue.

I support the resolution of the member for Peterborough requesting an inquiry. This inquiry is into the likely and essential growth of Ontario. The inquiry could take the form of a task force, a commission, an advisory council; any particular shape of the inquiry that is necessary to meet the need.

I enjoyed hearing the comments of the member for Nickel Belt (Mr. Laughren) as well as those of the member for Markham (Mr. Cousens). Their views, their concerns, are very important and add another dimension to the resolution as brought forward by the member for Peterborough. This task force could explore many issues such as the possible magnitude of growth or development in all of Ontario.

I support the member’s resolution. I do not necessarily believe everything in it is gospel because I feel it is important that we look at the growth in all of Ontario, not just the area that is within a 300-kilometre radius of Metro.

I think issues this inquiry could consider are the possible and desired form of such growth and development and the possible impact of technological change. There is the change in communications we are already seeing -- the changes with electronic mail, computer hookups and telephone conferencing -- the rapid rail that has been suggested and used in other areas of the globe; and also the technological change of our industrial machinery, for example the robotics that are being put in various plants throughout Ontario. These changes have a great influence on our growth patterns.

I think one of the important things coming from my riding is the cottage industry that is becoming more and more important. It is allowing people to live and work in smaller communities, in rural communities, and still participate in an excellent industry, in a developing industry, in an industry that allows us to market on a global sphere.

The inquiry could also look into the issue of the requirement and alternatives for transportation. As mentioned by the members from the third party and from the opposition, housing, open space, environmental quality, commercial-industrial development, agricultural land resource preservation, servicing industries, energy supply -- all those things could be looked into by this particular inquiry.

There is another thing this inquiry could review, and that is the provincial, regional and municipal governments and other structures that can best manage this growth and development.

I like the point brought forward by my friends in the opposition in the sense of co-operation, and I think the tone of the resolution put forward by the member for Peterborough is in the sense of co-operation. There is no question there are other structures in place to address the issues in a separate manner, but there is not a structure in place that will have an overall scope, an overall understanding, an overall development for the growth of Ontario.

One of the most important things I see about this particular inquiry is that it will give the people of Ontario, the different interest groups of Ontario and also various sectors of Ontario -- business, industrial, commercial, education -- a chance to have input into the economic growth and into the pattern of growth for Ontario. It is important that we examine this growth and make sure the growth is sustainable growth, sustainable development and that it is sound for Ontario.

Among the major groups I would hope to hear from would be the groups that have been looking after planning and development of planning in Ontario for a long period of time, the municipal councils and the municipalities.

My reason for supporting this motion is that it sets out its purpose as having a meaningful initiative that will look into growth on an overall basis for Ontario. Although I disagree with the 300-kilometre radius, I support the motion in principle.

I think the environmentally sound development of Ontario is becoming more and more important. We have not always addressed it in the appropriate manner as a province. Any government, whether it is provincial, federal or municipal, should take a lead role in developing a comprehensive policy and should look at a comprehensive way of managing its growth.

I may not have the same vision as my friend the member for Peterborough with respect to smaller communities linked by fast rail or anything like that. I may not have that --

Hon. Mr. Mancini: It’s pretty slow rail.

Miss Roberts: Well, as I have indicated on many occasions, I come from an excellent area, a very small hamlet. I live outside it. The last public transportation that came out of that village was a stagecoach. I do not expect I am going to have any better public transportation in the near future. I do not think we want it either, thank you very much.

In conclusion, what I would like to do is support the resolution put forward by the honourable member for Peterborough and ask for the support of the other members of the House for this particular inquiry so that we as a province, and as individual members and sectors of that province, can develop an environmentally sound policy for growth in Ontario.

Mr. Morin-Strom: I am a bit disturbed by the resolution that has been presented to us today by the member of the Liberal back bench on behalf of his party, a resolution that has the intent solely of commending the government on the actions it is taking and continuing with the government’s practice of commissioning study after study and inquiry after inquiry, rather than actually doing something about the problems we face in this province.

When it comes to economic development, this resolution again illustrates where the government’s priority is in Ontario, and that is on the metropolitan area around the city of Toronto. This government has put its priorities, since it has been elected, on Metropolitan Toronto and it has funnelled as much money as it can into that area.

This government refuses to look at the fact that we have two economies in this province. There is a strained, booming economy that is creating real hardship for people in Metro because of the cost of housing, with strains on families that do not have schools they can go to in Metro because the government has not provided the facilities for them. It is an economy that is encouraging people around the province to move to Toronto and the adjacent areas around Toronto because that is where the jobs are, while we have much higher levels of unemployment in other areas of the province.

As a whole, of course, our unemployment levels have gone down in recent years, but there is still a serious problem in areas such as rural Ontario, and in particular in northern Ontario, where young people cannot find jobs in the areas they are trained, skilled or educated to work in. They are finding they cannot find the employment opportunities there. There is a migration out of rural Ontario and there is a migration of young people out of northern Ontario, desperately trying to find jobs and facing astronomical costs of living down here in Metropolitan Toronto.

Here we have a government that continues to want to build on the growth of Metro Toronto and expand that growth. This government instead should take its responsibilities for balancing the economy of this province and should take the initiative to see that where the government can influence economic development, that development occurs in areas where there are people willing, able and trained to work, and to do productive enterprise for the province and for themselves, their families and their communities.

They should have the right and the ability to be able to do that in their home communities and not have to come down into this growing area adjacent to the city of Toronto that is strained in terms of accommodation and is a serious problem facing the whole province.

The suggestion that we should have another council to study this problem is another example of the Liberal solution to every problem, and that is to name a new task force, a new council to look at every problem that comes along rather than do something about it. The supreme example of this in terms of the economic realm is the Premier’s Council. The Premier’s Council was formed three years ago in 1986. What has the Premier’s Council accomplished?

It has produced, to this point, two studies. These studies in fact do give some direction for what the government should be doing. Instead of doing something about it and listening to the recommendations the government is receiving from the people it has commissioned to do studies, its suggestion is: “No, we need more studies. We need to form more commissions. We need to form more task forces to give us more recommendations rather than act on the results of these recommendations.”

The Premier’s Council study does have some valuable information in it. It does emphasize the need to develop a more highly skilled workforce and to expand production of manufactured goods into more highly valued products that can support a more skilled workforce and more jobs in terms of manufacturing.

Much of the study talks not just about the high-tech future the Premier likes to talk about, but also the fact that most of the jobs in this province are based on manufacturing in basic industries, in industries that take our resource wealth and produce products out of that wealth. We could be doing so much more in terms of producing finished goods, rather than having to import those consumer goods that are coming into the province and exporting more and more raw materials and commodity goods.

What has happened in terms of the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been committed to development of technology in this province is that again the funds that were put into the technology fund are being put primarily into Metro Toronto. The universities that are being supported, the major research projects that are being supported, the major industries that are being supported are not those that are located in the communities that need growth. The funds are going into the major centres in southern Ontario, predominantly those around the city of Toronto in the Golden Horseshoe.

Instead of developing and working on the strengths, abilities and industries that exist in the more far-flung areas of this province, in northern Ontario, some areas of rural southern Ontario, southwestern Ontario and eastern Ontario, this province continues to ignore those areas and puts all its eggs in the Toronto basket. This government is going to come to regret that action in the next few years, as we head into the next election.

I ask that this resolution be soundly defeated, as it is certainly not in the interests of the province as a whole.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. M. C. Ray): The time remaining permits only the member for Peterborough to wrap up the debate.

Mr. Adams: I must begin by saying I am very concerned about suggestions that this resolution of mine might be some manoeuvre by the government itself or might be some creature of the Liberal Party. I do not know how the New Democratic Party organizes itself, but on this side of the House, private members like myself are entitled to express their own opinions and they are encouraged to do so. When I have an opinion to express, it is listened to equally with those of all other members of my caucus. I know this is not the case in the opposition parties. This is a private member’s initiative of which I am proud.

Also, with regard to some of the remarks that have been made by the opposition parties, I have to say they all recognized with their words that we are faced by problems, that growth in all parts of the province is a vital problem today.

Unlike them, I prefer to take a positive attitude to those problems. I like to take a positive attitude and to try to solve them as creatively as we possibly can. Also, in my approaches to those problems, I believe in involving the public. This is not something the government should do on its own, that we in this House should do on our own. This is something in which we should involve the entire public so we know what the people want in order that we can develop a better Ontario.

I want to thank all those members who spoke in favour of my resolution. This is the sort of proposal that has brought together members from across the province, urban and rural. I particularly want to thank the member for Elgin (Miss Roberts) for her representation on behalf of a rural area. It was eloquently put. I also would like to thank the member for York North (Mr. Beer) and the member for St. Andrew-St. Patrick (Mr. Kanter) who were sitting here in the wings waiting to make contributions on behalf of their ridings, a riding on the boundaries of Metro and a riding in downtown Metro.

The issue of sustainable growth is not only a Toronto issue, nor is it exclusively a rural issue. Members from northern Ontario, even the member for Nickel Belt and the member for Sault Ste. Marie (Mr. Morin-Strom), can also see that they are being affected by the boom in the greater Toronto area.

The current boom presents an opportunity for us all to ask the question, what kind of Ontario do we want? I would like to come back to some of the key points. The proposal supports growth, but we want to make sure that growth is balanced, sustainable and environmentally sound. The proposal supports actions of groups such as the Premier’s Council, the Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy and any others who are preparing long-term strategies for the province. This proposal supports the efforts of the Greater Toronto Co-ordinating Committee in dealing with the daily challenges associated with such growth.

A carefully designed inquiry, as I said, could stimulate interest in a broad range of related issues. For example, the sorts of challenge growth creates clearly extend beyond the scope of any one ministry. Development proposals often fall under the jurisdiction of ministries such as Municipal Affairs, Education, Housing, Environment, Agriculture and Food and more. The inquiry I envisage might encourage further interministerial co-operation and some form of horizontal decision-making. The possibilities are there and they should be explored. I hope that the member for Markham is listening to this.

The purpose of the proposed inquiry is to mobilize human ingenuity, energy and commitment to a particular issue. Ontario’s people are our most valuable resource. We should tap that resource and encourage it to focus on the fundamental question of growth.

The purpose of the inquiry is to encourage people in this chamber, in this city and across the province to think about the kind of Ontario they want, the kind of Ontario their children should inherit.

I confess my interest in this resolution is personal to the extent that Peterborough is one of the ridings poised on a threshold in its development. We can nurture places like it as independent centres or we can see them deteriorate into specialty service roles, as appendages of formless and ultimately inefficient urban sprawl.

I sincerely ask that members believe that my motives in proposing this resolution relate equally or more to my concern for the whole province, rural and urban, north and south, and Metro. All of Ontario is at an economic crossroads. Consciously or otherwise, we are going to choose our route for the future. I want us to make this choice consciously, using the best available information and harnessing all of the talent at our disposal.

Let’s step back and ask ourselves, what sort of Ontario do we really want? I ask all members to support this resolution.

LIMITATIONS AMENDMENT ACT

Mr. D. R. Cooke moved second reading of Bill 198,

An Act to amend the Limitations Act.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. M. C. Ray): The member is reminded that he has up to 20 minutes for his presentation and may reserve any portion thereof for his wrapup.

Mr. D. R. Cooke: I will reserve approximately three minutes, I believe, for my wrapup.

I would like to start by indicating that in the gallery this morning are Lynn Allen of Family Transition Place, Dufferin, and Susan Yzerman of the Survivors and Supporters Against Sexual Abuse. I appreciate their coming here in support of this resolution this morning.

I also appreciate the work that has been done on it by my former special assistant, Matt Certosimo, my legislative intern, Ashley McCall, and my legislative assistant, Pat Rutter.

It should not hurt to be a child, and the purpose of Bill 198 is to make the limitation period under civil law more just for victims of sexual assault and incest and to ensure that the dynamics of sexual assault and incest, which often make it impossible for a victim to proceed with a court action for an undetermined period of time, are reflected in the statute of limitations.

I can indicate that this bill was initiated in response to the case of Karen Marciano, a case that was heard in my riding a little over a year ago. Perhaps I can give a little bit of her background, but I should make it clear that Miss Marciano is not unique in this province. I have discovered since then that there are many, many hundreds of cases, if not thousands, that are very similar.

Miss Marciano was sexually abused by her father between the ages of eight and 16. She left home as a teenager and got married, which is not unusual, and raised three children. In her 20s, she separated from her husband and became a single-parent mother and began to grasp the fact that she was having trouble relating emotionally to her own children and to men. She underwent therapy and traced her problem to the incest she had experienced in her childhood.

She confronted both her parents. Both of them, as she expected, denied the incidents. She consulted with a crown attorney. The issue of reasonable doubt, which of course is the standard for a criminal prosecution, was such, in view of the fact the evidence was basically her word against her parents, that she was advised against a criminal proceeding, so she brought civil proceedings against her father. A jury deliberated on the facts, having heard from both herself and her father, and found her father liable and awarded her $50,000 in pain and suffering and punitive damages.

Subsequent to the jury decision, the trial judge, Mr. Justice Maloney, found he had to dismiss the case based on a motion that was raised at the opening of the case that the limitation period had expired, in that she had waited more than four years past her 18th birthday before commencing the lawsuit.

The Limitations Act with regard to assault was passed by this Legislature in 1897, and I am not aware that we have looked at it since that time. The application of this law ignored the fact that Miss Marciano, along with so many incest victims, had not been capable of initiating a lawsuit within those four years as a result of the abuse itself. She and the Kitchener-based support group, Survivors and Supporters Against Sexual Abuse, came to me for help and the result has been this bill.

I have discovered the statistics show that what happened to Karen Marciano in her childhood is far from an isolated experience. Incest and child sexual abuse were once considered a rare phenomenon documented to occur at a rate of only once in a million children, but a dramatic increase in the reporting of child sexual assault and the extensive scientific research this has sparked has led to the recognition that child sexual abuse is a widespread and pervasive problem in our society.

According to the Ontario child abuse register, 1,345 cases of sexual abuse involving children under the age of 16 were reported in 1987. But reported cases represent just a fraction of the incidents that occur. A recent report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which has been utilized by Rix Rogers, a special adviser on child abuse to the federal Minister of Health, Mr. Epp, reports, “An estimated 25 per cent of women and 10 per cent of men were sexually abused at least once before the age of 16.” I am not certain that is a very solid statistic.

I have seen other statistics from the United States that put the figure at a little less than that, in the area of around 16 per cent. But if this figure is accurate, it means that in fact millions of the adult population of Canada have suffered some sort of sexual abuse.

The Badgley report, a federal government study established in 1984, indicated further shocking statistics on child abuse. I think these statistics can be counted on because they are looking at particular instances. Four in five of all unwanted sexual acts are first committed against people when they are children. Virtually all assailants are male. One in 100 is female. Over two in five of all sexual assault homicides are committed against children aged 15 or younger. About one in four assailants is a family member or a person in a position of trust. About half are friends and acquaintances and about one in six is a stranger. Thus, the pressure for a suit can linger for years.

Sexual abuse not only has tragic impact on its victims but exacts real costs on society. Mr. Rogers discovered that approximately 80 per cent of young offenders and emotionally disturbed children in residential care had been sexually abused. I invite members to just think about the estimate we can make of the cost to society -- in the millions, I am sure, is what it is costing us per year to support these young people through welfare, police, court, medical and correctional systems.

This bill could go a long way in helping victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault who choose to take their cases to court. I am not suggesting that the majority of them will, but the option should be there. Bringing a case to criminal court, where there are no limitation periods, has always been an option open, but it is very hard to obtain a conviction, just as it was in Miss Marciano’s case. Sexual assault is not usually a crime committed with witnesses present, nor is it a crime a defendant is likely to confess to, and therefore it is very difficult to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

Many victims of sexual abuse and assault turn to civil law to seek justice, but they are blocked by a limitation period that is clearly too brief considering the dynamics of child sexual abuse. Psychologists have documented the delay in victims’ ability in bringing forward a case as caused by the abuse itself. They call this child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome.

It produces dysfunctional behaviours, including a repression of the incidents by the victim, the victims blaming themselves for the incidents and not holding the perpetrators responsible, and the victims experiencing a deeply rooted sense of hopelessness and powerlessness, making it difficult for them to conceptualize taking action against the offender.

As family violence consultant Barbara Pressman makes clear, the psychological impact of child sexual abuse can be extremely far-reaching. The evidence is that it is so destructive that even after 10 years of therapy, even after recall and awareness of the impact of the abuse, the woman may be unready to lay charges. She is fearful that he is a perpetrator.

Even more convincing are the words of a survivor of child sexual abuse:

“I have always felt so guilty about what occurred between myself and my father. I always felt I caused it. It was a dirty secret I must keep to myself. Dad taught me both verbally and physically that I was of no value. I had no sense of self-worth.

“I got married. I put my past behind me. We had a daughter. Just before her eighth birthday, I started having nightmares about my father. I felt confused, frightened and totally unsettled all the time. The memories came flooding into my mind. I was having a hard time functioning day to day. I was almost 30 years old. Up till this time, I thought of it as something I had participated in and therefore I was guilty.

“My father stole my innocence, my sense of security, my childhood, my sense of family, my sense of self-worth. The incest overshadows my ability to parent, my relationship with my husband, how I relate to people in general, my ability to make decisions and, most of all, how I feel about myself.”

In this amendment to the Limitations Act, the limitation period is set to the later of two periods:

“Twenty years after the cause of action arose,” or, “Ten years after the time the person bringing the action discovers that the injury was caused by the sexual abuse or sexual assault and the injury no longer renders the person unable to bring an action.”

This is an innovation in legislation, as far as I can determine, anywhere in the world. It takes a doctrine of delayed discovery, which has been utilized to some extent by courts in contracts and in matters of this nature in some American states, and widens it to permit the victim to come to full grips, I believe, with the problem and to make a decision before the limitation period starts to run.

These limitation periods have been chosen taking into account the opinions of the survivors of sexual abuse, those who work with them and legal experts. Quite frankly, the reason I have left a limitation period in at all is out of deference to the Canadian Bar Association, but we may wish to consider whether sexual assault even needs a limitation period. The fact that the Limitations Act was enacted in 1897 when crimes of incest and sexual abuse were almost certainly not considered by this Legislature underlines the necessity of bringing a bill up to date to reflect reality.

As mentioned before, the reason many women do not bring cases to court within the time frame set out by the Limitations Act is a direct result of the wrongdoing of the abuser and of the abuser’s active miseducation and silencing. Three out of five sexually abused children have been threatened or physically coerced by their assailants. The victim’s blameless ignorance of her incest-related injuries is likely to continue for the longest time when the damage to her character inflicted by the abuse is most severe.

Therefore, the mature incest plaintiff is often the most deserving of compensation. If action through the courts is no longer available to a victim who has taken many years to discover the impact of sexual assault, this effectively denies justice to those deserving plaintiffs.

It also raises the question of equality rights and equal benefits under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Narrow limitation periods do not offer equal benefit of the law to those who have been disadvantaged by reason of age or sex from bringing an action. The consequences of this are summed up in the words of one incest survivor now in her 30s who said, “If I wanted to hold my father responsible by suing him, that option is not open to me. Laws should be open and accessible to all. This one is not open to incest victims by virtue of the statute of limitations.”

Support for this bill has been widespread. Survivors and Supporters Against Sexual Abuse collected almost 4,000 names on a petition supporting the cause. Frankly, when they informed me they were going to start taking up petitions, I did not ever conceive that they would be able to go into shopping centres and door to door and actually get this kind of volume of signatures on an issue of this nature.

Since the final draft of this bill was released, I have received numerous letters from groups all across the province endorsing the bill wholeheartedly.

These groups include the Institute for the Prevention of Child Abuse; the National Association of Women and the Law; the Ojibway Family Resource Centre in North Bay; the Muskoka Women’s Advisory Group; the United Church Women, Hamilton Conference and Waterloo Presbyterian; the United Church of Canada per Se; Survival through Friendship House of Huron County; the Territorial Headquarters of Canada and Bermuda of the Salvation Army; the Family Transition Place (Dufferin) in Orangeville; the Nova Vita Women’s Shelter in Brantford; the Mattawa Family Resource Centre; the Rosewood Shelter for Women and their Children in Midland, and the Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Shelter.

This bill will make a difference to a great many people’s lives. For incest survivors, a successful court case against their abusers brings so much more than simply the money received for damages. For many child victims of sexual abuse, being able to speak publicly about what has happened to them in their youth is a form of therapy. A successful conclusion to a court case would help a survivor to deal with her past and to recognize that these events are indeed in the past.

A public recognition of the fact that the abuser is wrong and the victim has been wronged, and the laying of blame where it should be, can help release a victim from feelings of guilt and worthlessness and allow her to lead a more happy and productive life. It may also stop others from falling victim to the same crime. By allowing survivors who have finally come to be able to do so to talk publicly about what they have suffered, awareness of the issue will be raised.

By passing this bill, the Legislature will show its abhorrence for the crime of sexual assault and its support for those victims who have suffered from it.

Mr. Hampton: I am very pleased to be able to support the honourable member today with respect to Bill 198,

An Act to amend the Limitations Act. I want to commend the member for bringing it forward. Having dealt with a number of private members’ bills in the last year and a half, I think I can honestly say this is one of the bills that is most worthwhile. It has had a lot of work done on it already and it has received a lot of support from many different community groups. I think it speaks to a real need in our society.

I commend the member. I think he has done some excellent work. As I say, I am pleased to be able to speak in favour of the bill. One of my colleagues, for sure, will also be speaking in favour of the bill. I know several others wanted to be able to speak. However, time limitations being as they are, only one or two of us will likely get on.

I have a background in some of the professional areas or professional activities that have to confront sexual abuse and sexual abuse of children. My first vocation was as a teacher. I became a teacher at just about the time when people in the social services field and people in the education field started becoming more aware themselves of sexual abuse.

I remember the first workshop I went to as a teacher. We had a child care worker come in and speak to us, I think it was for a whole day, on the issue of sexual abuse and also on our responsibilities under the law in terms of being sensitive to children and looking for indications that sexual abuse might be occurring, either in the home or in some other social milieu that the child was in, and our requirement under the law to report any suspicion that we had or any reasons that we had to suspect that child sexual abuse might be occurring.

That weighed very heavily on me because in the few years I was a teacher, I am sad to say that in the schools where I taught we did encounter situations where children were being sexually abused. I suspect now in retrospect that the abuse that was going on was much more prevalent than we were able to observe or than we suspected or were able to do anything about.

My second experience in this area was as a private practice solicitor. For a couple of years, I acted for the local children’s aid society. In a couple of cases, I represented the children’s aid society in child welfare cases where the children had been apprehended from the home and in a couple of cases, sadly, from their parents. The issues in a couple of these cases were suspected child abuse.

Again, from having spoken with a number of child care workers and from having worked with a number of children’s aid and family services workers, I can confirm what has been said by the honourable member in the presentation of his bill; that is, even today, with our greater sensitivity to sexual abuse of young persons, we are still not able to detect and deal with the vast majority of these cases.

I think it is fair to say we are more aware now that these things happen. We are more aware of them, but I still think that our capacity to deal with them, to prevent them, to know that they are happening and then react very quickly is still not as it should be. I think it is fair to say that even today, with our greater awareness, there is a great deal of sexual abuse of young persons that is occurring and we are unknowledgeable of it.

I suppose one of the reasons we are unknowledgeable of it is that in many cases it takes place in social situations where there is a great deal of confidence or where there is a great deal of privacy. It is very sad, but too often the sexual abuse of young persons does involve parents or relatives or close friends.

We know these things from the news media. I can think of just three or four examples that have happened within the last two years. I think many of us probably marked with some horror the report from a British Columbia court of the principal of a school who had been convicted of, I think it was, something like more than 23 incidents of abuse of children who were in the principal’s care and control when he was the principal of a various number of schools. In the Ottawa area there have been, I think, two or three cases within the last three or four years, and recently there were convictions obtained in St. John’s, Newfoundland, I believe -- all in situations of trust, confidence and privacy.

Our inability to deal now with what may be happening out there necessarily means that the limitation periods are brought into question. I think the limitation period, as the honourable member has quite rightly pointed out, is the central issue when we are dealing with sexual abuse cases.

In legal theory, I think it is fair to say that the limitation period exists for a very good reason: to ensure that someone who may have committed a wrong or who might be accused of having committed a wrong in terms of whatever kind of nature -- in this case we are dealing with a physical assault -- does not have to be concerned about the possible allegation of that offence for ever.

But I think it is fair to say we have a justice system that says you are not judged to be guilty until you have had a meaningful process of law, and that you should be held out there for ever as an accused is something that many of us I do not think could live with and it is something that I do not think would be conducive to a very orderly society or a society that would function very well.

There is a good reason for limitation periods, but as we look through the Limitations Act, you can see how limitation periods have been tailored to specific kinds of incidents. There are limitation periods for auto accidents, for actions dealing with land and property, for contracts and for physical assaults. In other words, the limitation periods that are provided for in the Limitations Act are already tailored very much to different kinds of incidents and different kinds of activities.

I think what we have discussed here today and what we have tried to point out is that sexual abuse of young persons is in itself a unique and very different kind of incident in a legal, psychological and social sense. It is very hard to detect in terms of its impacts and therefore is deserving of special consideration in terms of when a limitation period ought to take effect.

I want briefly to make a few comments about how the bill has been drafted. I may not agree in the legal sense that the way the bill has been drafted would be legally effective in terms of efficacy, proof or the availability of evidence, but I think in general terms the concept that is illustrated here is a good one. In the final analysis we may want to look at a shorter period, we may want to look at changing the language somewhat; but in principle I support the member and I commend him for bringing this bill forward.

Mr. Jackson: I rise today to participate in the debate concerning private member’s Bill 198. I say at the outset that I have long been in support of the amendments which have been put forth by the member for Kitchener (Mr. D. R. Cooke), and I congratulate him for his recent efforts on behalf of victims of the crime of sexual assault in this province.

Indeed, I actually share a sense of sympathy with him in his experience of frustration, having to bring these amendments to the Limitations Act before the House as a private member without the stated and full support of his government. As some members of this House may recall, I had a private member’s bill before the House on June 9 which dealt partly with the point of the amendments of the member for Kitchener. Unfortunately, it did not find the support of a single Liberal member of the House at that time.

However, as my bill suggested that the matters of the attitude of the courts and legal institutions with respect to the crime of sexual assault be referred to the standing committee on social development for discussion and open public hearings, I suspect that at day’s end, should this bill pass -- and I hope it will -- it too will be referred to the social development committee and public input will occur.

I too would like to stand in my place and commend Miss Marciano for her courage and for the thoughtfulness in her approach, because it is apparent that she has the touch, the heart and the conscience of the member for Kitchener. I wish to provide my full support for the fact that she has done that and that he has responded with this bill.

Quite frankly, it was my hope, with my bill, that Miss Marciano would have had the opportunity to touch the hearts of all members of this House. Perhaps, when this bill is referred to the social development committee, that opportunity will occur, and I am sure Miss Marciano would be more than pleased to come to talk to other legislators.

These amendments extend the allotted amount of time during which victims of sexual assault will be able to bring action against those who have perpetrated the crimes against them. They represent an important step in the overall direction in which I believe legislation in Ontario should be turning with respect to the treatment of the victims of crime.

I have stood in this House on several previous occasions to call the attention of all members to what can only be called a serious imbalance of attitude on the part of our social, legal, and yes even our legislative institutions, in dealing with criminals and in their dealings with victims.

This imbalance is often weighed in favour of the criminal as numerous mechanisms are in place, all at the courtesy of Ontario taxpayers, to help the offenders and not the victims. And yet, in all this seemingly enlightened activity on behalf of the criminal, our society appears to have forgotten the victims whom criminals leave behind as they themselves go on to press for their civil liberties.

It is our society which appears to have taken down its psychological textbooks to help the criminal but seems to reshelve them at the precise moment when it should try to consider the inner and outer scars borne by those whose own psychological nightmare could only just be beginning.

I do not believe that this evident neglect of victims of crime is simply an oversight which can easily be corrected by a few cosmetic solutions here and there to our justice system. I believe that our legal system is flawed in this respect and this flaw has to do with socially rooted attitudes. I believe that our systems tend to view the criminal act from the perspective of the criminal rather than of the victim.

It is time to move away from notions of society defined in terms of faceless crowds towards a notion of human personalities and lives which have been damaged and otherwise negatively influenced by the criminal act and whose unending experience of pain as a result of that act is a situation of continuing crime, of crime that has been extended in terms of its effect into the future and which needs to be addressed because it is in the future.

In the final analysis, I believe that we need to begin to view the criminal act from the perspective, clearly, of the victim. Happily, the proposed amendments which we are considering today go a long way to addressing the situation of the continuing crime as experienced by victims of sexual assault and they do this precisely from the victim’s perspective and I commend the member for his understanding of that.

By extending the legal time frames within which victims of sexual assault may bring action against those who have perpetrated the crimes, this legislation is acknowledging the countless social and psychological effects, the virtual daily hell that victims of sexual assault, especially of incestuous abuse and molestation, must live through as a result of their being victimized, and which effects have a most significant impact on their being able to bring both criminal and civil actions against their assailants.

By providing a broader time frame for the victims of sexual assault, this legislation is in essence allowing the victim a period which varies from individual to individual, during which some inner healing and emotional as well as spiritual rejuvenation may be brought to bear on the victims’ lives, thus enabling them to proceed to the often therapeutic, however painful, process of fighting back.

The victim of sexual assault experiences not only inner turmoil at being physically violated but also the much more subtle and dangerous punishment of guilt. In cases of incestuous molestation, it is not uncommon for victims to suffer from the guilt that somehow they and not the perpetrator are to blame, that somehow bringing the incident of sexual abuse by a parent, for example, to the attention of others is a breach of the familial relationship which is seen as off limits to everyone save those within it.

Parents and other relatives cannot be allowed, of course, to abuse their singular position of authority with the family. We are reminded of St. Paul’s commandment to all parents not to provoke their children to anger.

The victim of sexual assault needs support from the society from which he or she feels estranged as a result of feeling that taboos have been broken. Victims need to feel good about themselves again and to feel in control of their life situations. Such control, such psychologically necessary experience of personal power over the direction of one’s life is an all-important ingredient of the general process of healing for the victim of sexual assault who has had it suddenly taken away from him or her.

The ability to undertake action against the criminal at such a time when sufficient inner healing has occurred for the victim is also part of the same process, as it constitutes an exercise in the experience of personal power and the re-establishment of control over one’s life.

Also, the proposed 10-year time frame allotted to victims of sexual assault who discover previously unacknowledged inner wounds which are derived from their experience of assault takes into account the subtlety as well as the depth of the personal, psychological damage which is inflicted at the time of assault.

The human psyche is still a vast and largely unexplored mystery to us. Despite Freud and Jung, we as legislators need to fight the temptation to want to neatly categorize and compartmentalize human behaviour as we do our budgetary allocations.

This proposal at least gives tacit recognition to the fact that victims of sexual assault are subject to the broadest possible range of emotional side-effects as a result of their pain, which may or may not surface or be otherwise made apparent in connection with their experience of assault for several years.

In conclusion, I reiterate my support for these amendments. I also affirm my belief that these amendments are only a small beginning, however significant, for victims of sexual assault along the path which should see an overhauling of our institutional attitudes towards the victims of crime.

I know these amendments will go far towards helping those who wish to help themselves as they slowly rise from the abyss of despair into which their experience of assault has plunged them.

It is because of the policy of viewing crime from the perspective of the victim that I support these amendments now, and it is to this policy that I dedicate my efforts as a legislator in the future.

Mrs. Sullivan: I am pleased to be able to speak to Bill 198 today and to have an opportunity to support my colleague the member for Kitchener on his initiative in bringing the bill forward. As well, I would like to applaud those on all sides of the House who have spoken in concert with the intent of the bill.

The first question that comes to my mind in dealing with this bill is, why has it taken us so long? We are, after all, amending legislation that was established almost a century ago, in 1897.

Many members will know that I have personal problems in defining issues as solely women’s issues. For the most part, I see a common community thrust, but I can tell members, having talked to many broken women who are trying to recover from the trauma that they still bear from incestuous assault and other kinds of sexual assault in their childhood, this is very definitely a woman’s issue.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, the perpetrators of incest are male and the victims are female. Society must place responsibility for this crime squarely on the shoulders of the perpetrators. The damaging effects of incestuous assault is an important social problem. Yet, in spite of the dramatic increase in reported cases of incest, it continues to be one of the most unreported and underreported forms of abuse of children.

Incestuous assault is being defined as any manual, oral or genital sexual contact or other explicit sexual behaviour that an adult family member imposes on a child who is unable to alter or understand the adult’s behaviour because of his or her powerlessness in the family and early stages of psychological development.

You do not have to be a psychologist or a social worker to realize that it takes a long time for victims of incest to recover from psychological and emotional damage. Victims of this kind of sexual abuse are broken people and the healing period usually does not begin until most are adults, when they are old enough or can understand enough to realize it was not their fault.

Unlike nonsexual assault, where both the act and the resulting damages are usually apparent at the time, where incestuous sexual assault occurs, victims frequently do not acknowledge the wrongful act nor seek redress for their damages for a considerable time after the acts are committed on them.

I have met several incest victims who have spoken to me in a forthright manner. These people come from my constituency and they have talked about their difficult time of recovery. One woman who talked to me spoke of her own troubling experience and said:

“You know, at the time it felt good to me. I thought it was love and that it happened to everyone. Then I discovered that it did not and things were very wrong in our family. I thought it had to be because I made it happen, but I still could not talk about it.”

For most other victims I have met, the physical pain and degradation they experienced as children are expressions of a cruelty that I have difficulty bringing into any kind of personal imagining. From shame or guilt or fear those who have suffered cannot speak of their horror, and when they do, it is much later.

There are reasons for that. Children are typically dependent on adults. They are not free legally or psychologically to give or refuse permission for access to their sexuality. They cannot know the consequences in later life of a childhood sexual encounter. Intense suffering and sometimes long-term social effects result from it.

Incest victims experience significant and unique damages flowing from this form of sexual assault, including severe emotional and social disabilities that last into adulthood. Victims develop psychological blocks such as repression, denial, guilt or dissociation as coping mechanisms.

Some of the psychological injuries resulting from incest remain latent for many years. It is often only after victims are well into adulthood that they begin to appreciate that they are indeed victims of a criminal act and that they have suffered severe damages which, in a just society, demand redress.

Incest victims often experience a sense of powerlessness, a loss of self-esteem, a loss of confidence in those who should be in a position of trust. They also bear the fear of disclosure based on threats or implications for family, employment and other relationships. It is for all these reasons that there may be lengthy delays in bringing a civil action against the perpetrator. Unlike breaches of contract or other torts, the delay in bringing an action is the direct result of the wrongdoing of the abuser.

The opportunity to seek compensation for these damages through civil action is an important mechanism for securing access to justice. As well, setting things right is important in securing the physical and mental security of the person for the victims. It is also a crucial means of addressing this exploitation of children and women.

The private member’s bill of the member for Kitchener will change the Limitations Act to take into account the legitimate needs of victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse. The amendment recognizes that such victims belong to a special class of claimants to whom much longer limitations should apply.

The current limitation period of four years after the age of majority does not provide victims of incestuous abuse equal benefit of law, because the injury itself precludes them from coming forward to sue within the legislated time period. Instituting such legal reforms will not in itself eliminate the problem of sexual abuse, but it will make the system more fair for victims seeking compensation. It will also say to offenders that they will not easily escape future civil action once young victims are able to look after themselves after they have been empowered to take action.

Adoption of Bill 198 will help raise community awareness and understanding of the issue. It will send out the message that we will not tolerate such abuse in our communities, that we will not ignore the damage inflicted and that we will not turn our backs on abuse victims in need.

Not too long ago, children were seen as their parents’ property and too many were invisible in our communities. Although we are still fighting the notion that what happens in a family is a private matter, more and more today old taboos such as family violence, wife battering, sexual abuse and incest are being discussed openly.

Bill 198 is a reflection of society’s effort to come to terms with these issues. Sexual abuse, particularly incestual abuse, is a subject difficult for society and excruciating for its victims. Generally, the healing process cannot begin before child victims are adults. In the words of one writer: “Child abuse scars the mind. It damages the child’s development and shatters social competence. Victims may suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and withdrawal.”

There is probably no easier crime to get away with. The child molester is at ease, knowing that children are easily intimidated into silence, and children are often so damaged they cannot testify. They are often so traumatized they will deny what has happened to them in an attempt to shut the door on it. They are faced with telling on an adult whom they want to trust and whom they want to love and be loved by.

Pressures such as these are overcome only by time, and time is what Bill 198 is all about. Because the silence is an inherent aspect of the abuse, the delay in bringing a court action is a direct result of the wrongdoing of the abuser, not the fault of the victim.

This bill will ensure that victims, when they are sufficiently recovered from their injuries to take action, obtain their day in court. It is long overdue. I urge members to support Bill 198.

Miss Martel: I am pleased to stand this morning in the Legislature and speak in favour of Bill 198,

An Act to amend the Limitations Act. I would like to congratulate the member for Kitchener and other members in this House who have a history of working on behalf of those abused in society and who have a long history of doing that. I want to take the time to commend them for the work they have done with various groups in our community in trying to bring that to the forefront in our society.

I would also like to say that during the course of my remarks I may repeat some of what has been said, some of the cases and statistics, but I think that will serve only to re-emphasize to members of this House and the public in general the need to support this bill.

This bill extends the period in which victims of sexual assault or abuse may bring their cases in front of the courts. It fills a gap in the justice system, which presently makes no allowance for the fact that many victims of assault, especially those who were assaulted as children, may not face the fact of the crime for many years and are therefore not ready to bring a case to the courts within the limitations period.

At present, victims of sexual assault who wish to lay charges may proceed through one of two routes. They may bring the matter to either a criminal court or a civil court.

In the criminal court, there is no period of limitations; that is, the person who is bringing charges can do so at any time in his or her life. However, the burden of proof rests with the person who is bringing forward those charges. He or she must therefore prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the other person is guilty. That usually entails pictures, witnesses and, in fact, documentation of the crime. As members of this House and, indeed, the public can well imagine, none of that detailed evidence is normally available in sexual assault cases.

For this reason, sexual assault cases usually end up in civil courts, where the cases are judged on the basis of the probability of the crime having been committed. However, in civil courts, unlike criminal courts, there is a limitations period. For assault, the limitations period as it presently stands is four years; that is, a person must bring the case to the courts within four years of the assault or within four years after the person reaches the age of 18. Thus, a person who was a victim of sexual abuse as a child must bring his or her case forward by the time he or she is 22 years old and no older.

This law proclaiming the four-year limitations period was first written in 1897 and has not been reviewed since. At that time, sexual abuse was not discussed and therefore limitation was never considered independently when this law was being established. Now, as a society, we acknowledge the fact of sexual abuse and we are more aware of the circumstances surrounding it. We know that because sex is a taboo subject, it makes it extremely difficult for victims of sexual assault to talk about the crime and therefore to start the healing process. It takes much longer for them to deal with the assault and thus longer before they are ready to decide whether they should take this before the courts.

One victim, a Waterloo woman who was sexually abused by her father from the time she was eight until she left home at 17, explained the predicament in this manner: “That means that at the age of 22, I would have had to go to court. I didn’t even know this law existed at the time I was free, finally, of my father’s advances. I had just gotten married and wanted to live a free and normal life. I couldn’t have dealt with what happened to me in the past because it had happened over such a long period of time. I just wasn’t capable. Even at that time, I didn’t know it wasn’t my fault it had happened.

I had thought I was the bad person, the guilty one. What my father did to me was my punishment. No child or adult should have to go through that.”

For this Waterloo woman, she was not ready to deal with the issue, let alone decide to take it to court at the age of 22.

I have in front of me another situation, the well-known case of Miss Marciano, which has been documented and talked about here this morning. Her case proves even more definitively the need to reform the limitations statute.

Miss Marciano was sexually abused by her father between the ages of eight and 16. When her case was heard, the Ontario Supreme Court jury found in favour of her claim and awarded her $50,000. However, the case was later dismissed because Mr. Justice Maloney pointed out that the statute of limitations had expired several years earlier. We have to ask ourselves and the public in general, is this really justice being served in this province?

The law needs to be reformed so that people like Miss Marciano can have their cases heard, so that they can use the justice system as it was intended, to see justice served.

I believe we all feel as members of this House that incest or other sexual child abuse is a repulsive crime, but I think many people are unaware of how widespread the problem is. Some of the statistics have been mentioned by the member for Kitchener, so I will not go through them again, but I will say that many children are victims of sexual abuse or assault. To expect them to come to terms with the trauma of abuse by the time they are 22 is unrealistic.

At that age, they are trying to deal with the new responsibilities of adulthood, living on their own, getting settled in a job, starting a family, all of which requires tremendous adjustment. Dealing with the fact of the assault at the same time and deciding whether to take the issue to court is plainly unrealistic.

I do not think the justice system intentionally penalizes people who are unable to bring their case to court because they have suffered great trauma and personal injury. It is a result of historical views, oversight and the time it takes to change the system. However, we in this House are now in a position to change the system and make it more fair. Changing the limitation period is something positive we can do to help stop the cycle of child abuse and give the victims justice in the system.

There are numerous groups in favour of this legislation; they have been mentioned here today.

I understand that the whole statute of limitations is under review right now. I understand that the fact of delayed discovery will be taken into account as the limitations are revised. That is certainly a positive step towards making the limitation period more just. I believe Bill 198 helps to do just that. It allows reasonable time for victims to seek justice.

In support of all those who have worked to bring this problem to our attention, the women’s groups, transition houses, churches, individuals and indeed members of this House, and as a positive step towards stopping the cycle of incest and making the system more just for future victims, I urge all members of this House to support Bill 198 today.

Mr. D. R. Cooke: I want to thank all of the members of the House who have spoken in favour of this bill.

The member for Rainy River (Mr. Hampton) cited his experience as a barrister. I share with him some concerns regarding lengthening limitation periods and I would like to go over with him later, perhaps, why I came to the conclusion that it is valuable to do so.

I appreciate the support of the member for Burlington South (Mr. Jackson). I think he will agree with me that this bill is somewhat different and more to the point in this particular case than his own bill. In any event, I appreciate the help and support he has given with regard to this particular matter and the undertaking he has given with regard to the future.

The member for Halton Centre (Mrs. Sullivan) and the member for Sudbury East (Miss Martel) have both spoken. As the member for Halton Centre indicated, it is a women’s issue, and she was careful to define what that is. Both members spoke very much from the heart, the member for Halton Centre indicating she has met with incest victims and the member for Sudbury East pointing out how unrealistic it is to expect all the cases to take place within the present limitation period.

Considering the statistics I cited earlier, I suppose it would cross one’s mind that if there are millions of victims of sexual abuse, there might well be some adult victims of sexual abuse in this House today. I very much doubt that. I know I certainly was not. I had two very loving parents. Because of the tremendous psychological impact of child sexual abuse on its victims, very few would have the sense of confidence, the sense of self-worth, that is needed to run for elective office.

I believe those of us who have been lucky enough to escape this childhood trauma have a responsibility to those who have suffered. Everyone should have the right to have the happiest and most fulfilling life possible. By passing this bill, we will give this chance to those who have suffered the tragic consequences of child sexual abuse. As I indicated earlier, it should not hurt to be a child.

LONG-TERM PLANNING

Mr. Speaker: Mr. Adams has moved resolution 55.

All those in favour will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion the ayes have it.

Motion agreed to.

LIMITATIONS AMENDMENT ACT

Mr. Speaker: Mr. Cook has moved second reading of Bill 198.

All those in favour will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion the ayes have it.

Motion agreed to.

Bill ordered for committee of the whole House.

The House recessed at 12:01 p.m.

AFTERNOON SITTING

The House resumed at 1:30 p.m.

VISITORS

Mr. Speaker: Just before I call for the first order of proceedings, I would ask all members of the assembly to recognize in the Speaker’s gallery the head of the delegation of the Commission of the European Communities, His Excellency Jacques Lecomte. Please join me in welcoming His Excellency.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

SALE OF CIGARETTES TO MINORS

Mr. Farnan: Approximately 25 per cent of teenagers are smokers. This is a highly disturbing statistic when we consider that tobacco, a highly addictive product, is the number one preventable cause of disease and death in Canada today.

What can be done to protect young consumers from becoming addicted to tobacco products? The answer is clear. The government should move immediately to end the major reason why young people smoke; namely, the easy access youths have to tobacco products. Teenagers and even preteens can obtain cigarettes without difficulty even though it is illegal for stores to sell cigarettes to persons under 18.

The government should replace the antiquated Minors’ Protection Act with legislation having a meaningful deterrent. The current maximum fine of $50 has not been increased since the act was first passed in 1892. This paltry penalty gives retailers an economic incentive to disobey the law. What is needed is new legislation that will give retailers an economic incentive to obey the law. The government can do this by substantially increasing fines to retailers who sell cigarettes to minors.

Young people in this province, led by the Student Movement Aimed at Restricting Tobacco, SMART, and the youth wings of the three main political parties, have demonstrated leadership on this issue by proposing a reasoned legislative package of reforms to address the issue. Unfortunately, to date the government has not acted.

I urge the government to review the problem of easy access to tobacco products by young people and bring forward legislation to address this issue.

JILL PATTERSON AND DONNA BEGGS

Mr. Sterling: I rise today to pay tribute to two very special young ladies from the riding of Carleton who have brought a touch of royalty to our area.

Jill Patterson of Metcalfe was recently crowned Ontario Queen of the Furrow at the 1988 Ontario Plowing Match. Jill is a 19-year-old student at Guelph University and was our 1987 Carleton county Queen of the Furrow. In addition to achieving academic excellence, Miss Patterson has completed 35 4-H projects and served as a Sunday school teacher in her community.

The citizens of Carleton have also been made proud by 17-year-old Donna Beggs of North Gower, who won the Ontario Dairy Princess title. Donna Beggs is a graduate of South Carleton High School and, in addition to being a musician and a tap dance instructor, she too has been very active in agricultural endeavours through the 4-H Club.

I think it bodes well to have these beautiful, talented young ladies representing agricultural interests, and I ask the members of this assembly to join me in extending congratulations and best wishes to both the Ontario Dairy Princess, Donna Beggs, and the Ontario Queen of the Furrow, Jill Patterson, both from the great riding of Carleton.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE TOWN COUNCIL

Mr. Dietsch: I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to the honourable members of this House a few distinguished guests, as well as constituents of mine, who are seated in the west members’ gallery today.

It has been my pleasure to have the Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Stan Ignatczyk, the Deputy Lord Mayor, Alderman Gary Burroughs, Alderman Nellie Keeler and Alderman Dave Lepp visiting Queen’s Park as members of our newly elected council in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We have spent time today touring Queen’s Park and meeting with the Minister of Municipal Affairs (Mr. Eakins) in order that we might discuss our goals and mutual concerns. Our meetings were very productive and we look forward to continuing to work together over the next three years.

I ask all honourable members of this House to join with me in welcoming the delegation from the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, which I might be a little bit prejudiced in saying is the most beautiful spot in all of North America, but I would certainly request the members of this House to join me in welcoming my guests to this Legislative Assembly.

TVONTARIO

Mr. Hampton: Members who are from southern Ontario areas or from urban areas of Ontario may easily overlook the importance and the significance of TVOntario and the programming TVOntario carries. After all, if you live in southern Ontario or even in a city like Thunder Bay, Sudbury or Timmins, as you flick through the television channels you will find a variety of Canadian television, as well as many -- I would say too many -- American channels.

The significance of TVOntario may be lost on many of us who reside in urban Ontario or in southern Ontario. But I come from a part of Ontario where in many communities there is only one channel which can be received all the time, and that is usually a CBC channel from Winnipeg, of all places.

Many folks who live in communities in northwestern Ontario and can receive TVOntario appreciate it greatly. They appreciate it for the current programs it provides. They appreciate it for the coverage of the Ontario Legislature it provides. They appreciate it because it introduces television programs which are so distinct and different from what may be available on American channels.

I would urge the government, when funnelling more money into TVOntario, to carefully consider putting some in the northwest, please.

POLICE OFFICERS

Mr. Runciman: Police officers in Ontario have been getting a lot of negative press recently in regard to shootings which have resulted in charges being laid against some officers. I agree that such charges should be laid when evidence supports those charges. However, given all of the negative press recently, I want to remind members that these officers are innocent until proven guilty.

I find it extremely disappointing that rarely do members of this House rise to commend our police forces for the effective job they do for us on a daily basis and for performing their duties in a conscientious manner in the interests of protecting the public. Within the last few weeks, a police officer was killed in the line of duty, the result of a traffic accident. Also, a woman police officer had part of her leg amputated after being hit by a car while in the line of duty. However, no one in this House stood up to express condolences on the death of the officer, nor did any member stand to address the fact that the woman officer’s career is now in question.

It is imperative that we maintain a balance between stating our concern over questionable actions of our police forces and our support for their dedication to their duties. Police officers are human beings. Mistakes will be made. However, we must also recognize that officers are called upon regularly to make split-second decisions in the interests of enforcing the laws of our province.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and members of this House to join me in stating support for our police forces and to express to them the respect they deserve.

SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD

Mr. Faubert: Many of us let yesterday pass with little recognition that January 11 was the birthday of our first Prime Minister and the founder of the Canadian nation, Sir John A. Macdonald.

In his 19 years as Prime Minister of Canada, he faced many of the same problems we still face today. The federal-provincial battles raged on, quarrels over language filled the land and, as we still find today, the great expanse that is Canadian geography kept our regions far from one another.

It has been called for before and will be again, I am sure, that a national day be established to honour this great Canadian known as the Father of Confederation, and I would urge this Legislature to support such a move.

During his last campaign, that took place during 1891, he was greeted everywhere by shouts of, “Sir John, you’ll never die.” I am pleased to advise this House that these shouts were in essence a prophecy. For as long as we exist together as a united Canada, his impact will be with us.

RETAIL STORE HOURS

Mr. Farnan: Last night I listened to the farewell address of President Ronald Reagan to the American people and he mentioned that he based much of his success on the recognition of the principle, “We, the people.” He emphasized the importance of being sensitive, of listening and of responding to the wishes of the people.

Here in Ontario, the people of Ontario have spoken on the issue of Sunday shopping. They have spoken in a clear, unequivocal manner and they have said very, very clearly, “We want a common pause day.”

The Premier (Mr. Peterson) and this government do not listen. In Ontario, the principle of government is not “We, the people.” In Ontario, the principle of government is “We, the government.”

Mr. Speaker: I guess that really completes the allotted time for members’ statements.

lnterjections.

Mr. Speaker: There were about four seconds left but I did not think any member could complete a statement in that time.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTRY

SCHOOL OPENING AND CLOSING EXERCISES AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Hon. Mr. Ward: In the eight years since the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the courts have laboured to measure against it laws created in previous years. In jurisdictions across Canada, legislators have been challenged to create new laws responding to the charter.

It was within this context that last September 23 the Ontario Court of Appeal rendered a decision with respect to the charter that struck down the

section of Ontario regulation 262 dealing with religious exercises in public elementary schools.

This government opted to accept the court’s ruling, respecting and sharing in its spirit that we must recognize and respond to the multicultural and multifaith nature of Ontario society today. We have chosen to act on our belief that a new

section can be created within the regulation that complies with the court’s

interpretation of the charter.

I wish to inform the Legislature today that, effective immediately, we have amended the sections of regulation 262 concerning opening or closing exercises to achieve two very important purposes: to recognize and respond to the multicultural and multifaith nature of our province and to permit the Lord’s Prayer to continue to have a place in the classrooms of Ontario.

The amended regulation will require all public elementary and secondary schools in Ontario to be opened or closed each day with our national anthem, 0 Canada. In addition, at the discretion of each public school board, God Save the Queen may be included.

The inclusion of any content beyond 0 Canada will be optional for each public school board. Where a board decides to include other material, the content will include a period of silence and/or one or more readings that impart social, moral or spiritual values and that are representative of our multicultural society. Such readings may be chosen from both scriptural writings, such as the Bible, the Koran, the Torah and many others, and secular writings.

Let me emphasize that the Lord’s Prayer may be included among the readings chosen for use in any public school. However, to ensure that all our schools hold opening or closing exercises that are consistent with the spirit of the Court of Appeal’s ruling and with the charter, readings from any one religion may not be used exclusively or be given a position of primacy.

To comply further with the court’s ruling and with the charter, such readings will replace the collective recitation of any specific reading from a particular religious tradition. Such a practice within the public schools is not in accordance with the charter as interpreted by the court.

My ministry will assist boards that choose to include readings by developing and distributing a resource document for opening or closing exercises which will contain guidance for its use.

The period of silence available for inclusion in opening or closing exercises is intended to be used for personal reflection or individual silent prayer.

As is the case with elements elsewhere in the educational program, parents who object to part or all of their school’s exercises may apply to the principal to have their children exempted. Adult students may also exercise such a right.

I am confident that these changes respond fully and appropriately to the intent and spirit of the judgement of the Court of Appeal and to the court’s

interpretation of the charter. We must all acknowledge and understand the clear message of the courts: that in opening or closing exercises, Ontario’s public schools must not give one religion a position of primacy. The public school system is open and available to all.

Through our amended regulation, we are acting upon an excellent educational opportunity to firmly establish Ontario’s classrooms as a cradle of tolerance and understanding, where children learn to accept and appreciate that we are all citizens of the same province.

Regulation 262 also covers the teaching of religious education in the public elementary schools of this province. The regulation governing religious education in schools was introduced in 1944, and a review, in consultation with the many religious groups which make up Ontario’s multicultural society, is, I believe, timely, appropriate and useful.

This need is underlined by recent developments, including the creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, its

interpretation by the courts and the passage last year of a resolution by the Legislature, introduced by my colleague, the member for Hamilton West (Mr. Allen), to consider for Ontario schools a multigrade, multifaith religious education curriculum.

This government believes there is an important role for religious education in the public elementary schools. While this view is shared by many religious groups, parents and educators, opinions differ on what should be contained in an appropriate policy on religious education.

Therefore, I am pleased to announce today that I am establishing a ministerial inquiry into religious education in the public elementary schools, to report and make recommendations to me by January 31, 1990.

The inquiry will be conducted by Dr. Glenn Watson, the former director of education of the Brant County Board of Education. Dr. Watson is in the visitors’ gallery today. His terms of reference will afford him the opportunity to undertake a complete review of how current religious education programs are conducted and how religious education might be conducted in the future.

His terms of reference include a review of the existing policy with respect to religious education; the identification of curriculum options for an appropriate religious education policy for the public elementary schools which responds to the multicultural and multifaith nature of the population of the province; the identification of appropriate teacher preparation strategies to support the teaching of religious education, and the delivery of recommendations with regard to the adoption of an appropriate religious education policy for Ontario.

I have asked Dr. Watson to conduct extensive consultations with interested parties during his inquiry, and it is my expectation that he will solicit their input through a public process.

TECHNOLOGY FUND

Hon. Mr. Kwinter: I would like to inform the House of a new industrial development project to receive assistance from the Premier’s Council technology fund.

As members will be aware, the Premier’s Council technology fund was established in 1986 to support science and technology research in the private sector and post-secondary institutions.

Since then, it has sponsored a number of major initiatives to carry out that mandate, including the support of more than a dozen industrial research projects in areas that range from the development of an advanced form of radar to investigating new types of ceramic materials.

Today I am pleased to announce that the technology fund will be providing up to $4.85 million towards the development of a new mobile satellite communication system for the transport industry.

This project, which is worth a total of $9.71 million, will be undertaken by Telesat Canada of Ottawa, in partnership with Frederick Transport Ltd. of Dundas, Ontario, and Bill Thompson Transport Ltd. of St. Thomas, Ontario, two major Canadian carriers.

Telesat Canada already has extensive experience in the installation and operation of satellite communication systems. Under this project, the company will research and develop a sophisticated new system that will allow carriers to communicate via satellite with vehicle drivers while they are on the road.

The work will lead to the manufacture of sophisticated new high-technology communications and computer equipment that will have widespread uses in other fields. But it will also have additional benefits. Not only will it increase the competitiveness of the transportation industry, it will help those manufacturing companies which depend on trucking firms for the timely delivery of components and other products.

An added bonus will be improved highway efficiency as the superior communication abilities of this new system will permit drivers to avoid areas of heavy congestion. The mobile satellite communication industry is an excellent example of a market that is poised to expand rapidly during the next few years. Markets such as these will be responsible for creating much of this province’s wealth in the future.

The project I am announcing today will help establish a major new Canadian manufacturing presence in this promising area, thus ensuring that Ontario reaps the full benefit from its anticipated growth.

ARTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM

Hon. Ms. Oddie Munro: I am happy to announce today in the House that my ministry will launch a new arts management training program this winter. Because community arts organizations play such a significant role in sustaining the cultural life of Ontario, I am pleased that the Ministry of Culture and Communications is able to provide funding to professional arts groups that would welcome an opportunity to train individuals seeking a career in arts administration.

The 12-month program, costing $450,000, is in response to the need expressed by the province’s arts community for quality arts management training.

The arts management training program is a chance for 30 individuals throughout this province to receive in-depth and on-the-job training in their area of specialty. They, in turn, are expected to reinvest the expertise gained back into the arts community after the one-year term.

There is also a spinoff benefit from this program, in that it will provide an opportunity for professional arts organizations to hone the efficiency and effectiveness of their own organizations by participating in the development of prospective managers. In addition, it affords the arts community an opportunity to groom the next generation of arts administrators.

My ministry has always worked to strengthen cultural organizations in Ontario. Therefore, I think that the talent and enthusiasm the 30 individuals will bring to the program will add much to strengthening the community-based role of arts organizations throughout the province.

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT

Hon. Mrs. Caplan: It is my pleasure to announce that my ministry is granting $1.7 million to fund eight community mental health and addiction treatment projects. They are being funded as part of my ministry’s commitment to women’s initiatives. All the grants will be provided annually and on a continuing basis.

Three of the projects will provide various kinds of counselling and referrals. They include Toronto’s Sistering project, which is a supportive, nonthreatening environment for transient and socially isolated women in the Parkdale area, and the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, which counsels the victims of childhood sexual abuse and incest and provides them with crisis intervention and referral services. The third is the Women’s Counselling Referral and Education Centre, offering services including telephone crisis counselling, education counselling and referral.

We are also funding the establishment and operation of two alcohol and drug dependency centres. The program, sponsored by the Sudbury Algoma Hospital, will provide nonmedical detoxification for women in the district of Manitoulin and the region of Sudbury. The other centre is in Acton; it will serve Halton and Peel regions, offering treatment on both a daily and residential basis.

These programs are active examples of my ministry’s commitment to serving the needs of women. They are also important steps towards our goal of seeing that the people of Ontario have equitable access to the best and most effective health care possible.

At this time, I would also like to announce the appointment of Dianne Macfarlane as the mental health and addictions co-ordinator for the ministry. Mrs. Macfarlane is currently the administrator of the Queen Street Mental Health Centre. She has a background in community mental health and a graduate degree in criminology. As co-ordinator for mental health, she will serve as a focal point for outside agencies, other ministries and the public in development of mental health and addictions programs and policy.

The designation of a mental health and addictions co-ordinator is in keeping with the recommendations of the Task Force on Illegal Drug Use report by the member for Muskoka Georgian Bay (Mr. Black), encouraging cooperative approaches among government ministries and between government and other sectors.

RESPONSES

ARTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM

Miss Martel: I want to respond briefly to the statement made by the Minister of Culture and Communications (Ms. Oddie Munro) today. We certainly welcome any initiative on the part of this government which is going to promote growth and efficiency in arts organizations in the province. I believe that a hands-on experience for those people in areas of their specialty will probably broaden their expertise. It is also going to help the arts organizations with some badly needed staff that they might not otherwise have, so I expect that it will indeed be a very valuable experience for both.

On the heels of that, though, I would like to say I am disappointed that we have yet to hear from either this minister or the government any announcement concerning the commitment to the five-year plan that was put forward by the Ontario Arts Council. That plan would certainly see a large infusion of money over the next five years into the arts sector in this province; money which is badly needed both to provide for financial stability to the arts and for artists themselves.

I would hope that the minister would continue to lobby the Treasurer (Mr. R. F. Nixon) and that some money can be freed up for that plan. At this point, the first year should already be well under way.

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT

Mr. Reville: The Minister of Health (Mrs. Caplan) announces the appointment of Dianne Macfarlane. Obviously, I congratulate Mrs. Macfarlane on her appointment. She will have much to do. I regret that she is being shifted out of the Queen Street Mental Health Centre. There is kind of a revolving door as administrator there, and that does not help that operation.

It is pretty clear that the Minister of Health has not read the Graham report, or if in fact she has read it, she intends to pay no attention to it. The eight programs that she announces are undoubtedly worthwhile programs, but the Graham report indicates that the priority of this government should be people who suffer the most severe disabilities and not some of the recipients of these programs.

The other comment I have to make is in respect of the grants to eating disorder clinics. Let me point out that the most serious eating disorder in the province remains hunger. This government h