No Adoption Disclosure

June 9, 2005 permalink

Ontario's Adoption Disclosure bill is dead. It would have reduced the power of the social services system by allowing families to reunite without controls. The bill will be prorogued at the end of the spring legislative session. New legislation, if any, will have to be introduced anew at the next session.

Adoption Disclosure was defeated, apparently, with objections from women in old-age homes fearing disclosure of their secrets, along with the assistance of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party and its leader, John Tory. Grannies do not have the kind of political clout needed to defeat legislation -- only the social services system itself could do so. John Tory is now the defender of social services.

Here is a news item on the subject from the Ottawa Sun:

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Thu, June 9, 2005

Adoption disclosure bill delayed

By Antonella Artuso, Queen's Park Bureau

TORONTO -- A controversial adoption disclosure bill will be shelved until at least the fall, the victim of "jitters and game playing," NDP MPP Marilyn Churley says.

Churley said the Liberals are eager to see the House rise for the summer while the Tories are determined to filibuster the bill.

"It seems like the adoption bill is always jinxed by something," said Churley, who has tried repeatedly over the years to bring forward such legislation.

This latest bill would open up adoption records to birth parents and adoptees.

Tory House Leader and Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman said yesterday his party had reached a deal with the Liberal government to delay the bill, giving the government more time to consider the potential pitfalls of the legislation.

Source: Ottawa Sun

Addendum: To remove all doubt about John Tory, here is a quote from an email by John Tory to his supporters dated Friday June 17, 2005:

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In contrast to the McGuinty Liberal record, I am very proud of the many accomplishments that our Caucus was able to achieve this session. These include: Convincing the Liberals that the flawed adoption legislation was not ready for passage due to its lack of adequate protection of privacy rights;