OPSEU
President Warren (Smokey) Thomas responds to the Ontario Human Rights
Commissioner.
Toronto Star, Editor:
OPSEU's president submitted this letter to the Star today in response to
Barbara Hall's letter.
Ontario’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Barbara Hall, is living in a
dream world if she believes the government’s human rights reforms will allow
the Commission to concentrate on the “big picture” and “address systemic
discrimination.”
Ms. Hall should tell it like it is: The so-called reforms brought in under
Bill 107 will divert funding away from the Human Rights Commission, giving
it to the tribunal and new legal support centre. The Commission will be left
with few staff and barely enough resources to do educational pamphlets.
OPSEU fought hard to win amendments to the legislation that give the
Commission the legal right to initiate public inquiries, intervene in
individual cases and initiate their own complaints before the Tribunal.
Unfortunately, the reality is, without a substantial increase in funding the
Ontario Human Rights Commission won’t have the staff and the resources
required to do any of it.
Sincerely,
Warren (Smokey) Thomas
President, Ontario Public Service Employees Union
View Toronto Star article
here
View Hall’s original letter at:
www.thestar.com/article/254017
