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Wednesday, October 31, 2012 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years Orono Weekly Times - 13 O'TOOLE Continued from page 7 GDP of $1 trillion. Ontario has about one-third of the Canada' total population. ~ Modernizing Ontario's outdated 1970s-era apprenticeship system to create 200,000 new jobs. Your ideas on creating jobs and opportunities for Ontario are welcome. I can be reached at (905) 697-1501 or 1-800661-2433 and by e-mail at john.otooleco@pc.ola.org. PCs Increase Pressure to Recall the House Ontario's PC Opposition is taking our case for the recall of the Ontario Parliament to the public. We are using radio advertising, an online petition, and direct appeals to the McGuinty government to get Parliament back to work. Last week alone, important reforms to the WSIB and to Ontario's social service benefits were proposed. Yet, without a Parliament, there is no forum to address these priorities through Question Period, petitions, motions, bills, debates and votes. On top of that, there is no forum to get to the bottom of the gas plant scandal. In the midst of a jobs and debt crisis, Ontarians deserve to know why the McGuinty Liberals spent almost $1 billion to cancel gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga and then shut the doors of the Legislature and walked away. Holding a leadership campaign to replace Premier McGuinty is not a good enough reason to prorogue the House. Perhaps Ontario's taxpayers will be able to shame McGuinty government's back-benchers, ministers and leadership contenders into doing the right thing and letting Parliament get back to work. Prorogued Legislature Means Missed Opportunity For Action on Social Services Reform An independent report Keith Qualtrough won a Maple Leaf jersey on Saturday at the Durham Regional Police Children`s Games held at the Pickering Recreation Complex. almost two years in the making has called for the transformation of Ontario's social assistance program. Some of the recommendations from the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario included: ~ Support for employerdriven initiatives and the establishment of employers councils to provide advice on the design of employment services. ~ A provincial partnership with corporate leaders to champion the hiring of people with disabilities. Such a partnership could help generate awareness and support for more inclusive workplaces, help debunk myths and stereotypes, and leverage the impact of existing strategies in the business community. ~ Support for alternative employment, including self-employment, social purpose enterprises and peer-led programs. ~ Allowing recipients to keep more of their existing assets and earn up to $200 a month without having their benefits reduced. The Commission was led by Frances Lankin and Munir A. Sheikh. Their 108 recommendations were released last week. The Commission concluded Ontario's social assistance system must do a better job of helping people move into employment and supporting all recipients, including those with disabilities, to participate in the workforce to the maximum of their abilities. The provincial government admits the number of people relying on social assistance has increased steadily since the 2008 recession. Growth in the number of social services recipients averages five per cent each year over the past five years. Unfortunately, the recommendations for social service reforms have been delivered at a time when Premier McGuinty has essentially padlocked the Ontario Legislature until further notice. You have to wonder why this government feels that a leadership campaign to replace Premier McGuinty is more important than helping people on social assistance find employoment. As with all issues before the House, your comments are welcome. I can be reached at 1-800-661-2433 or (905) 697-1501 and by email at john.otooleco@pc.ola.org. I look forward to hearing from you. Ontario Pays Tribute to Lincoln Alexander The passing of Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander on October 19 was a sad day for Ontario. Lincoln Alexander served with honour and distinction in many capacities. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran, an outstanding lawyer, and a devoted public servant. He was Canada's first black Member of Parliament, representing the Riding of Hamilton West. He was also Canada's first black cabinet minister, and he went on to serve as Ontario's Lieutenant Governor from 1985 to 1991. Although Lincoln Alexander was Lieutenant Governor prior to my election to the Legislature in 1995, I have met him, and I know he left a strong legacy. His mandate as Lieutenant Governor included the betterment of young Ontarians and quality education. He was highly regarded across the Province for his commitment to Canada, to Ontario and to his home city of Hamilton. A state funeral was held in Hamilton on Friday, October 26. This followed Mr. Alexander's lying-in-state at the main lobby of the Ontario Legislature. Lincoln Alexander was truly an inspiration in leadership and public service.