| MPP MACLEOD DEMANDS FULL AUDIT OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PRACTICES AT CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRY |
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| Tuesday, 29 May 2007 19:00 |
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Opposition Critic for Children and Youth says Minister ignored FOI legislation QUEEN’S PARK, May 30, 2007 – Official Opposition Critic for Children and Youth Lisa MacLeod today called on the McGuinty government to ask the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner to conduct a full audit of Freedom of Information Practices within the Ministry of Children and Youth. “Recent articles in the Toronto Star have proved that there was a lapse in accountability in her department and further that the Minister of Children and Youth Services knew almost two years ago that children were being abused at some provincially licensed daycares,” said the Nepean-Carleton MPP. “Two years! Her Ministry had the documentation, and for two years the Minister ignored Freedom of Information legislation and withheld that information, for no good reason. Two years - when the Ministry should have provided full disclosure within 90 days at the maximum.” After almost two years of Freedom of Information requests, the Toronto Star reported this week on abuses at provincially-licenced day care facilities. “The Toronto Star article’s on abuses occurring in Ontario daycares has made it clear, crystal clear, that the Minister of Children and Youth was already aware of abuses in certain daycares despite the challenges the reporters faced while trying to access information which should have been public from the beginning,” said MacLeod. “Now that the cat's out of the bag, and it has been proven that the Minister already has evidence of what daycares are a danger to our children, will the Minister bring in the Privacy Commissioner to undertake a full audit of her ministries’ freedom of information practices and furthermore, once the report is completed will she make that report available to the public?” - 30 - For more information: Stephen Gilman, Executive Assistant Nepean: 613-823-2116 Queen’s Park: 416-325-6351 Cell: 613-297-2051 Web: www.lisamacleod.com |