Today, Elizabeth Witmer, PC Education Critic and former Minister of Education, introduced a Resolution calling on the Ontario Government to:

• Officially recognize the 3rd week of each November as “Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week,” in Ontario.

• Have every Safe School Team in the province direct the development of activities for their school during “Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week.”

“All Members clearly demonstrated today that they want to make sure that Ontario schools are safe, caring and inclusive places for our students to learn,” said Witmer. Now that the Legislature has voted to support my Resolution, I am eager to work with the Minister of Education to ensure that all schools in Ontario recognize “Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week” this November.”

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For more information contact:
Elizabeth Witmer, MPP
(416) 325-1306

• Officially recognize the 3rd week of each November as “Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week,” in Ontario.

• Have every Safe School Team in the province direct the development of activities for their school during “Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week.”

Bullying, whether physical, verbal, social or “cyberbullying” remains a serious and frequent occurrence in schools. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, one in three students experiences bullying at school, and almost one in three students have bullied someone else. Moreover, between 2003 and 2007, the incidences of bullying have remained about the same.

“Based on these alarmingly high statistics on bullying, the first hand concerns and reports brought to my attention and the far-reaching consequences of this behaviour, a concerted effort must be made to stop bullying. This resolution is intended to do so,” said Witmer.

Research shows that those who are bullied may suffer anxiety, depression, substance abuse, low-self esteem and academic failure. Research also shows that those who bully learn to use aggression as a form of power and may become abusive adults or involved in violent crime.

“It is my belief that by raising awareness of bullying and embarking on efforts to prevent it, students will understand there is support for those who are bullied, that there are consequences for bullying and that bullying is never acceptable,” said Witmer.

Witmer’s Resolution is supported by teachers, trustees, parents and safe school activists.

QUOTES

“ETFO is pleased to lend support to (Witmer’s) proposal to have Ontario formally recognize Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week in an effort to focus greater attention on effective prevention strategies at the school level. Activities related to an annual focus on bullying awareness would naturally fit with the role of new Safe School Teams the Ministry of Education is requiring in each school.”
– Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President, Sam Hammond

“Ontario Catholic school boards strive to create safe, inclusive and caring learning environments for all students. The idea of Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week is a tangible activity to make this ideal a reality in all our school communities.”
– Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) President, Paula Peroni

“Teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic schools know how important it is for our students to feel safe and secure. We continue to work with many educational partners to increase the public’s awareness of the harm caused by bullying. Formally recognizing the third week of November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week will help to raise public awareness of this important issue.”
– Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) President, James Ryan.

“OSSTF/FEESO and the 60,000 educational workers we represent strongly endorse positive measures aimed at reducing the incidents of bullying. Bullying behaviour must be addressed immediately and effectively. Failure to do so comes at a huge cost to society as those students who engage in bullying behaviour are more likely to grow into dominating, aggressive and violent adults. The prevention of bullying is key to ensuring that all students feel safe at school. The more trained adults working in the school setting, the more immediate is the assistance and support that can be provided to all students.”
– Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) President, Kenneth Coran.

“The devastating consequences of bullying and violence in Ontario’s schools are becoming increasingly clear, and will continue to negatively impact our society, and the very communities we all live in. Prevention and awareness is one of the key elements in slowing down the progression of pain that many Ontario families are living with. These families need a voice, and they need to know that the community they live in supports them. The York Region Anti-Bullying Coalition supports Mrs. Witmer’s resolution to bring forward a “Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week” in the Province that we call our home. What better way than to bring awareness of this issue to the forefront.”
– York Region Anti-Bullying Coalition, Karen Sebben

“As both a victim of bullying and an advocate for those who aren’t always heard, I know how harsh the effects of bullying can be. With Resolutions like Mrs. Witmer’s, we can reduce the rates of bullying and ensure the safety of students. It’s crucial now more than ever to take action.”
– Bullying Canada.ca, Katie Neu

“As someone whose family has lived through this nightmare, I whole heartedly support Mrs. Witmer’s Resolution to make the third week of November Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.”
– benchboy productions, Sunnie McFadden-Curtis

“Bluewater Citizens for Education support all initiatives that would ensure schools are places where children are safe to learn. Awareness is a first step toward ensuring this vision for safe schools. Children cannot learn if they do not feel safe. Therefore, Bluewater Citizens for Education supports Witmer’s resolution.”
– Bluewater Citizens for Education, Lesa McDougall

“We support Mrs. Witmer in her efforts to bring this issue to the forefront as a major concern for our communities. We appreciate her efforts to amplify the voice of parents, seek sensible solutions, and to bring awareness to the extent of this issue and its impact on the victim and their family.”
– London Anti-Bullying Coalition, Corina Morrison

FACTS

• According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH):

o Roughly 315,000 students (Grades 7 – 12) reported being bullied in 2007.

o Between 2003 – 2007, the incidences of bullying that took place in schools remained about the same (Grades 7 – 12).

o In 2007, roughly 90,000 students (Grades 7 – 12) reported being bullied on a daily basis.

o A third of students experience bullying at school, and almost a third of students have bullied someone else.

o A 2008 study by CAMH found that bullying and harassment can lead to depression, substance abuse, anxiety and academic failure.

• According to the Ministry of Education:

o Bullying is typically a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another person’s body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation.

o Research indicates that a clearly articulated school-wide bullying prevention policy is the foundation of effective bullying prevention programming.

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For more information contact:
Elizabeth Witmer, MPP
(416) 325-1306

Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer, invites local small businesses to visit www.tiredofredtape.ca, the latest component of the Ontario PC Small Business Jobs Plan.  This website provides a forum for people to share their experiences and frustrations with the McGuinty government’s excessive red tape.

The Ontario PC Caucus’ Small Business Jobs Plan calls on the McGuinty government to immediately take steps to reduce the red tape and regulatory burden strangling Ontario’s employers.

QUOTES

“If you have run into the wall of Dalton McGuinty’s red tape, we want to hear about it. Please go to www.tiredofredtape.ca and share your experiences with us. You can count on a Tim Hudak PC government to reduce red tape.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

“Dalton McGuinty’s high taxes and excessive red tape are the two largest problems facing Ontario’s small businesses. The CFIB has once again made a compelling case about the devastating consequences of red tape for small businesses.  Red tape costs money and kills jobs.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

QUICK FACTS

As part of the first ever ‘Red Tape Awareness Week’ the Canadian Federation of Independent Business released a comprehensive report entitled “Prosperity Restricted by Red Tape.” Some of the findings from this report include:

• Only Manitoba beat Ontario on a measure of whether or not CFIB members felt red tape had increased in their province over the previous 3 years
• Ontario is responsible for 36% of Canada’s regulatory costs ($10.9 MM out of $30.5 MM)
• The CFIB’s “Regulatory Accountability Progress Report” gives 3 thumbs down for Ontario for no publicly reported measure for red tape, no current measurement of red tape, and no permanent (legislated) commitment to report on red tape.

The PC Caucus Small Business Jobs Plan would encourage jobs now by:

• Re-instating a Red Tape Commission that would eliminate many unnecessary regulations that punish small businesses. 
• Implementing a moratorium on new regulations that will impact small businesses until the Red Tape Commission has reduced the overall regulatory burden.

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306

Despite clear signs that the Second Career retraining program would have a ripple effect on college enrolments throughout Ontario, the McGuinty Government failed to plan for the surge in college applications that would result.  Due to a spike in the number of laid-off workers seeking retraining through this program, some Ontario colleges are now seeing the number of applications increase by as much as 50%.

As a result of this surge of new applications, Ontario high school students looking to pursue post-secondary education are at risk of being frozen out of their local college altogether.  This situation could have been easily predicted and prevented.   At the same time, Dalton McGuinty’s poor economic management has resulted in a devastated job market for students with a youth unemployment rate of 18.3%. 

QUOTES:

“Dalton McGuinty’s job-killing economic policies have created a situation where too many Ontario high school students can neither find a job nor get an education.”

– Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

“The McGuinty Liberals should have seen this coming.  Instead laid-off workers and Ontario students are left fighting each other over opportunities to improve their education, training and job prospects.  Second careers are important, but first careers matter too.”

– Ontario PC MPP Elizabeth Witmer

QUICK FACTS

• The Equal Consideration Date application deadline for fall 2010 Ontario College programs is February 1, 2010.
• Over the past year Dalton McGuinty has promised to create 1,064,000 new jobs in his Budget, Green Energy Act and HST tax grab.  In reality he has presided over the net loss of 141,600 jobs during that same time period.
• Statistics Canada’s December jobs report confirms that Ontario’s unemployment rate is 9.3%, well above Canada’s national average of 8.5%.  In Kitchener the unemployment rate is even higher still at 9.6%.  Ontario’s youth unemployment rate is 18.3%, up from 18% last month.

CONTACT:

Greg Medulun

416-325-1330

greg.medulun@pc.ola.org  

Witmer’s question was on behalf of the thousands of unemployed men and women in Waterloo Region and residents of Ontario whose lives have been shattered as a result of the McGuinty government’s mismanagement of the Second Career Program.

Two weeks ago, the McGuinty government changed the application rules for the Second Career Program. Consequently, people who qualified under the old rules and were waiting patiently for their turn, have become ineligible for training support.

According to John Tibbits, President of Conestoga College, “there’s a fundamental economic transformation going on.” Within the last year, Ontario has seen a net loss of 122,700 jobs. 28,000 local residents are looking for work in the Waterloo Region. Ontario’s unemployment rate, which is at 9.3%, is significantly higher than the national average at 8.5%. Tibbits suggests that workers are “going to need to retrain.”

“Many people have contacted me to express their shock and devastation at the last minute cancellation of their retraining plans after going through hoops to quality for the last eight months,” said Witmer. “One man said the government had made a promise and now has broken it. As a result he has hit rock bottom.”

“I urge the Premier to stop short-changing the needs of adults who desperately need retraining to find a job and immediately reinstate the Second Career applications, which were submitted under the original rules,” said Witmer.

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306

The Ontario PC Caucus is calling on Dalton McGuinty to hold province-wide public hearings on the HST, including the Waterloo Region. Until Dalton McGuinty agrees to open province-wide hearings on this huge tax, the Ontario PC Caucus will use every procedural tool and tactic at its disposal to delay the passage of the HST.

Today in the Legislature, the Ontario PC Caucus used “points of privilege” and every legislative tactic possible, in order to urge the Premier to hold province-wide hearings on the HST.

Witmer encourages all Waterloo Region residents to speak up and join the fight against the HST by signing a petition to stop this huge tax increase. For a full list of items that will be taxed under the HST and to sign the petition please visit www.daltonsalestax.com.

QUOTES

“Despite the fact that a poll released this week by Holinshed Research Group indicated that 76% of Ontarians are opposed to the HST, Dalton McGuinty refuses to hold public hearings to allow them to express their opinions.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

“If Dalton McGuinty actually believes that this tax is in the best interest of Ontario families and seniors, then he would hold open public hearings throughout the province, including the Waterloo Region.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306

In their March 26 budget, the McGuinty Government promised to create 146,000 new jobs over this year and 314,000 jobs by the end of 2010-11.  Today, seven months later, Statistics Canada has revealed that not only has the McGuinty Government failed to create jobs any jobs, but an additional 32,000 jobs have, in fact, been lost since the budget was introduced.

In October 2009, Ontario lost an additional 12,000 jobs.  This drives Ontario’s unemployment rate up to 9.3%.  Over the past year, Dalton McGuinty has presided over the loss of 205,900 Ontario jobs.  In fact, it was one year ago this week that Dalton McGuinty led Ontario into becoming a ‘have-not’ province.

The Ontario PC Caucus released a Small Business Jobs Plan that, if implemented, would help Ontario businesses and entrepreneurs create sustainable long-term jobs right away. Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak also continues to call on Dalton McGuinty to abandon his HST plan, which will be bad for Ontario businesses and families.

QUOTES:

“By virtually every economic indicator – this is a dismal performance.  While other parts of the country dig themselves out of recession, Dalton McGuinty is digging us deeper into have-not status.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

“It is clear that the McGuinty Government has become so distracted by scandal that it has failed to introduce a real jobs plan for Ontario families and businesses.   Now, more than ever, Ontario needs a new direction.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

 “Dalton McGuinty took record economic growth and job creation and turned it into record deficits, tax increases and unemployment.  Hardworking Ontario Families are paying more in tax.  The deficit and debt are spiraling out of control.  And there are no new jobs to show for it.”

– Kitchener-Waterloo MPP, Elizabeth Witmer

QUICK FACTS:

The McGuinty Liberal Record

• In Budget 2009, the McGuinty Government promised to create 146,000 new jobs this year and 300,000 new jobs by the end 2010-11. http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2009/chpt1.html#chart7

• Statistics Canada’s latest job numbers confirm that the McGuinty Government has, in fact, lost 32,000 thousand jobs since making this promise. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/labour-travail/lfs-epa/lfs-epa-eng.htm

• Ontario’s unemployment rate has increased to 9.3%.

• Over the past year alone, the McGuinty Government has presided over the loss of 205,900 jobs.

The Ontario PC Caucus Small Business Jobs Plan would encourage jobs now by:

• Repealing the McGuinty government’s job-killing Bill 119, which forces independent operators and sole proprietors into the WSIB system and requires WSIB coverage for office and secretarial staff who will never set foot on a construction site.   This bill will cost affected small businesses more than $11,000 in additional taxes each year.

• Ensuring permanent small business representation on the WSIB.

• Implementing a one year payroll tax holiday on new hires that will make it more affordable for businesses to hire new staff;

• Suspending the land-transfer tax for one year; this will make home ownership more affordable for young families – and help create new construction jobs.

• Re-instating a Red Tape Commission that will eliminate the many unnecessary regulations that punish small businesses. 

• Implementing a moratorium on new regulations that will impact private sector job creation until the Red Tape Commission is in place to reduce the overall regulatory burden.

• Turning Ontario’s 3:1 journeyman-to-apprentice ratio into a 1:1 ratio. This will help more young tradespeople into the market, and make it more affordable for small businesses to hire new workers.

• Suspending the McGuinty Government’s decision to place 100% of the cost burden for the blue box program on small businesses. This places an unfair and unwarranted cost burden on businesses and manufacturers and will cost jobs.  Instead, government should maintain the existing 50-50 split.

• Continuing to use every tool available to stop Dalton McGuinty’s plan to merge the HST and PST into a super ‘Dalton Sales Tax’ that will take $3 billion out of the pockets of consumers and kill jobs.

CONTACT:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306

Currently, many students graduating from high school do not have the basic math skills needed for university programs such as business, science, and engineering. As a result, it is becoming more common for Ontario universities to offer remedial math courses to these students.

A survey of Ontario universities reveals that at least seven institutions offer remedial math programs to students and these include: Brock, Carleton, McMaster, Algoma, Wilfrid Laurier and York.

Additionally, several more universities are considering testing the math skills of students and they include: Algoma, Ottawa and Windsor.

Academics such as Professor David Vaughan, the head of the math department at Wilfrid Laurier University, has said that the problem is getting “worse” and he indicates that “students are coming to universities with diminished mastery of many of the basic skills.”

“This is a serious problem that should not be foisted on our universities to resolve,” said Witmer. “If we are to achieve the high standards needed to compete in a global economy, then changes must to be made to the high school math curriculum immediately.”

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306

Previously, dozens of local residents were denied the ability to begin courses this September at Conestoga College because Ontario’s Second Career Program was suddenly and unexpectedly put on hold by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, just a few days before their courses were to start.

When these students were left in limbo, Witmer immediately began demanding action from the McGuinty government to enable these Waterloo Region residents the opportunity to access the Second Career Program.

Many of the individuals affected by the Minister’s decision contacted Witmer and expressed their strong desire to prepare for a second career and concern about their ability to pay their rent and mortgages because their Employment Insurance was running out.

 “I’m pleased that local residents will have the opportunity to develop their skills for a new career,” states Witmer. “The McGuinty government has finally acknowledged that these students were short-changed when the program was abruptly halted. I will continue to monitor this situation to ensure that the 28,000 local residents in the Region of Waterloo, who are looking for work, get the support they need.”

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306

(Queen’s Park) Today, during Question Period, the Minister of Training, Colleges and University, John Milloy, refused to answer a question from Elizabeth Witmer, the PC Education Critic, as to when funding for the Second Career Program would again start to flow.

Witmer’s question was on behalf of the dozens of local residents who were notified late last week that they would not receive retraining funding from the Second Career Program for courses which they were to begin today, and into the future at Conestoga College.

“Many people have contacted me to express their shock and devastation at the last minute cancellation of their retraining plans,” said Witmer. “One man said the government had made a promise and now has broken it. As a result he has hit rock bottom.”

Currently, 28,000 local residents are looking for work in the Waterloo Region. Some of those who had applied to the Second Career Program to upgrade their skills to help them find a new job, received this shocking news at a time when their Employment Insurance is running out and they are finding it difficult to pay their rent and mortgages.

“I urge the Premier who has consistently said he wants to be known as the Education Premier to stop short-changing the needs of adults who need retraining and immediately find a funding solution for these adults,” said Witmer.

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP

(416) 325-1306