ONTARIO HANSARD
April 26, 2005
ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK
Mr. Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): My question is to the Premier. Despite pleas from patients and their families, you refuse to fund treatment for orphan diseases such as Fabry, and notwithstanding a court order, you continue to refuse to provide funding for IBI treatment for autistic children. I want to read you another promise you made, and this is from your election campaign platform: "The number of deaths caused by anaphylactic reactions to food is increasing every year. Without immediate attention, severely allergic children can die from anaphylactic shock. To protect children with life-threatening allergies, we will require every school to develop an anaphylactic plan based on province-wide standards."
Mr. Premier, you have now been in government for 18 months. There is no such plan in the province to date. Have you changed your mind about this? Is it no longer urgent? When do you intend to put this plan in place?
Hon. Dalton McGuinty (Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs): To the Minister of Health.
Hon. George Smitherman (Minister of Health and Long-Term Care): The honourable member will know that, in 18 months, this has been a very activist government with respect to efforts and initiatives to protect our children. We have a tremendous advantage, obviously, on the very specific issue the honourable member raised, and it's to be found in the form of our government whip, who has brought forward a piece of legislation that I believe enjoys very significant support in this Legislature. It's before committee. This is a demonstration of our government's commitment to be able to move forward and make progress on an issue.
I, like all members, am a recipient of significant interest from the community. But I just want to say to the honourable member that his attempt to signify this issue as one of inaction is rather inappropriate, given the very long list of initiatives targeted at children that the Premier had the opportunity earlier in question period to apprise all members of.
Mr. Klees: I'd like to remind the Minister of Health and the Premier that the member from Brant introduced his bill, Bill 3, in this House some 18 months ago. It is not before committee. It is awaiting committee hearings. It has not been called for committee.
This Premier and this government refuse to live up to their promise to take action. In the words of the member from Brant, when he was debating this issue, he made it very clear that this is an urgent issue, that children are at risk --