[homeles_ot-l] ACTO FW: Bill 106 update: SCAN passes 2nd reading - Tenant advocates must keep up the pressure

Mon Nov 10 12:24:57 EST 2008

FYI…Lynne Browne

Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness (ATEH)
147 Besserer Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 6A7 
HYPERLINK "mailto:lbrowne at ysb.on.ca"lbrowne at ysb.on.ca,  613-241-7913 ext 205

www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca  

   _____  

From: hhno-on-owner at povnet.org [mailto:hhno-on-owner at povnet.org] On Behalf
Of Yutaka Dirks (ACTO)
Sent: October 31, 2008 12:11 PM
To: hhno-on at povnet.org
Subject: [hhno-on] Bill 106 update: SCAN passes 2nd reading - Tenant
advocates must keep up the pressure

A short update on Bill 106:

Bill 106 was carried on second reading, and the level of support for it was
troubling.  It has now been referred to the Standing Committee on Justice
Policy.  Government bills take priority over private members bills in
Committee, so it is unclear when Bill 106 will be discussed.  The Advocacy
Centre for Tenants Ontario has contacted the Committee clerk to request a
spot when/if the Committee has public hearings on the Bill.  Public hearings
are not guaranteed.  It is imperative that if you oppose Bill 106-SCAN that
you contact the Standing Committee on Justice Policy and request that your
organization be able to make deputations on this Bill.  The Committee needs
to hear that this Bill is hotly contested and the community should be
broadly consulted.

Staff members from the ACTO were present in the public gallery on Thursday,
October 30 when Bill 106: Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act was
debated on second reading. It was interesting to see that MPP Yasir Naqvi,
who introduced the Bill, opened his remarks somewhat on the defensive.  It’s
clear that the letters that have been sent from legal clinics and tenants
organizations have had some effect.  The only Conservative party member to
speak to the Bill was generally in support, though he noted several
concerns, primarily those of the cost of implementing SCAN and supporting
the police who may be asked to evict people under SCAN, as well as some of
the problems that we have identified in relation to due process/burden of
proof and the question of where those evicted under SCAN will go.  That
being said, he supported the Bill’s passage to Committee.  

Cheri Dinovo, Parkdale High-Park’s NDP MPP, was the only MPP to speak
against the Bill.  The NDP is opposed to the Bill, and she made extensive
mention of the legal clinics and tenant organizations that oppose the Bill.
ACTO was able to speak with an NDP researcher earlier this week to ensure
that the breadth of the opposition to Bill 106 and the tenant perspective
was represented in the debate on Thursday and we are encouraged that the NDP
has taken a position against Bill 106.  (special kudos to Elinor Mahoney
from Parkdale Community Legal Services, whose letter was quoted liberally by
MPP Dinovo)

What we can do to stop Bill 106:

Tenant advocates and community members who are opposed to Bill 106 need to
keep up the pressure on MPPs from all parties.  The pro-SCAN lobby is
substantial, and they are doing their best to see this awful bill become
law.  It is our job to ensure that never happens. 

-          If you haven’t yet done so, write a letter to your local MPP
voicing your concern about Bill 106.  Send copies to all MPPs and to the
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Attorney General.  This is
an issue that will affect communities across Ontario and all politicians
need to hear from tenants, housing and human rights advocates.  A sample
letter is attached to this email.

-          Contact the Clerk of the Standing Committee on Justice Policy by
email: HYPERLINK
"mailto:susan_sourial at ontla.ola.org"susan_sourial at ontla.ola.org and request
the opportunity to make an oral or written deputation on Bill 106.

-          Print and distribute the attached leaflet about Bill 106

ACTO will send out further updates and action tips as more information
becomes available.  

 You can read the full debate here:

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=2064&detai
lPage=bills_detail_debates

Yutaka Dirks

Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator

Advocacy Centre for Tenants - Ontario

425 Adelaide St. W., 5th Flr.

Toronto, ON  M5V 3C1

Tel:   416-597-5855 x. 5243

Fax:  416-597-5821

www.acto.ca

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