For immediate release: May 14, 2008.

McGuinty government passes bill which creates a legal right for abusive birth parents to find out the adopted identity of their child abuse victims

(Queen’s Park, Toronto) – Again today the members of the McGuinty government proved just how little they care about the physical and emotional well-being of adoptees who survived severe child abuse at the hands of their birth parents.  Fifty-one Liberal members voted for Bill 12 despite concerns raised by the opposition parties, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and Ontario’s Child Advocate regarding what this Bill will do to those children who were adopted after being taken from their birth parents as a result of severe abuse. 

Bill 12, which introduces the option of a disclosure veto for adoptions finalized before September 1 of this year, removes the option for victims of child abuse adopted after September 1, 2008, to keep their adopted identity from their abusers.  As a result, abusive birth parents from whose care the children were removed and subsequently adopted, will be able to access the adoptive names of their victimized children when those children turn 19 years of age. 

Despite supporting more open adoption disclosure going forward, the PC Caucus voted against this Bill because the McGuinty Government refused to address this deficiency and maintain protection for this vulnerable group. 

“I tried to work with the Government to protect these victims and create a Bill we could support,” said Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP Norm Sterling, who spearheaded the fight on behalf of these vulnerable Ontarians.  “I just don’t understand why the McGuinty Government refuses to consider what this will do to these victims.  As far as I can tell they are playing political games with the wellbeing of these abuse survivors.”

Bill 12 was introduced after a court overturned aspects of the McGuinty Government’s 2005 Adoption Disclosure Legislation because it did not respect the privacy rights of parties to past adoptions.  However, even that flawed legislation did include protection for the privacy of adoptees who had been abused by their birth parents. 

 “The McGuinty government is creating a legal right for these abusers to access information about their victims,” said Mr. Sterling.  “If the abuser was anyone other than the birth parent, there is no way that any branch of government would give them the identity of their victims.”

The following Liberal Members voted for Bill 12 revoking the privacy rights of these victims of severe abuse: Sophia Aggelonitis, Hamilton-Mountain; Laura Albanese, York South-Weston; Bas Balkissoon, Scarborough-Rouge River; Hon. Rick Bartolucci, Sudbury; Hon. Margarett Best, Scarborough-Guildwood; Laurel Broten, Etobicoke-Lakeshore; Michael Brown, Algoma-Manitoulin; Jim Brownell, Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry; Hon. Michael Bryant, St. Paul’s; Hon. Donna Cansfield, Etobicoke Centre; Hon. David Caplan, Don Valley East; Hon. Aileen Carroll, Barrie; Mike Colle, Eglinton-Lawrence; Kim Craitor, Niagara Falls; Bruce Crozier; Essex; Bob Delaney, Mississauga-Streetsville; Vic Dhillon, Brampton West; Joe Dickson, Ajax-Pickering; Hon. Brad Duguid, Scarborough-Centre; Hon. Dwight Duncan, Windsor-Tecumseh; Kevin Flynn, Oakville; Hon. Peter Forseca, Mississauga East-Cooksville; Hon. John Gerretsen, Kingston and the Islands; Pat Hoy, Chatham-Kent-Essex; Helena Jaczek, Oak Ridges-Markham; Linda Jeffrey, Brampton-Springdale; Kuldip Kular, Bramalea-Gore-Malton; Amrit Mangat, Mississauga-Brampton South; Hon. Deborah Matthews, London North Centre; Hon. Ted McMeekin, Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough; Phil McNeely, Ottawa-Orleans; Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Ottawa-Vanier and Minister of Community and Social Services; Hon. John Milloy, Kitchener Centre; Carol Mitchell, Huron-Bruce; Yasir Naqvi, Ottawa Centre; David Orazietti, Sault Ste. Marie; Hon. Gerry Phillips, Scarborough-Agincourt; Hon. Sandra Pupatello, Windsor West; Shafiq Qaadri, Etobicoke North; Khalil Ramal, London-Fanshaw; Lou Rinaldi, Northumberland-Quinte West; Mario Sergio, York West; Hon. Monique Smith, Nipissing; Hon. George Smitherman, Toronto Centre; Charles Sousa, Mississauga South; Hon. Harinder Takhar, Mississauga-Erindale; Maria Van Bommel, Lampton-Kent-Middlesex; Hon. Jim Watson, Ottawa West-Nepean; Hon. John Wilkinson, Perth-Wellington; Hon. Kathleen Wynne, Don Valley West; and David Zimmer, Willowdale.

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For more information, call Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP Norm S