In a rare display of solidarity, the Ontario government and opposition parties came together on Monday to help give out-of-town military families immediate access to free health care and provide better job security for reservists who are enlisted into duty.
The proposed legislation, which won unanimous support from the opposition Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats when it was introduced, aims to lift the current 90-day waiting period for military families to access the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
The policy, if passed, would benefit about 8,500 family members each year, Premier Dalton McGuinty said.
The improved access to health coverage will help those who follow their spouses across the country and often are stuck with major medical bills that may or may not be refundable.
"That is, at a minimum, a bit of a hassle, but also can be a hardship depending on how much money you've got around,'' McGuinty told reporters during a visit to the Downsview military base in Toronto on Monday morning.
Cathy Priestman, a mother of two, said she was thrilled with the proposed legislation, which she called "groundbreaking." Her husband was stationed in Belgium for three years, but has since been reassigned to Ontario for 11 months, after which he'll head for Alberta.
"I think it's going to relieve financial pressure and also mentally, moms and dads can know their kids can be taken care of," she told The Canadian Press.
Increased job security for reservists
The government's proposal also calls for stronger employment protection for reservists called away for duty.
"I'm a little bit concerned about reservists -- we've got about 200 who are going to be deployed in Afghanistan this March. The last thing I want them to worry about is hanging on to their job," the premier said.
"So we're going to change the law in Ontario to provide for guaranteed job protection for our reservists. If you leave and go somewhere else, you want to make sure your job is here for you."
There are about 12,000 reservists from Ontario. Several hundred of them are on duty at any given time.
If they have been with their employer for at least six months, the law would let them keep their job or be assigned to another position with the same salary upon returning from a domestic or international mission.
"We want them to have on their mind only their mission, and getting home safe and sound," said Labour Minister Brad Duguid.
"Worrying about whether they have a job to return to when they get back is something we'd like to get completely off their minds."
Duguid said Ontario is following the lead of Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, which already have similar legislation.
The legislation would cost only a little more than $3 million a year to implement, McGuinty said.
Progressive Conservative critic Bob Runciman said he supports the proposed legislation, but was disappointed the government didn't consult with the opposition first if it wanted speedy passage of the bill.
"They've obviously had it prepared and planned, (so) you'd think they could've at least advised us that this was coming,'' Runciman said.
"On issues like this especially, they should be reaching out and trying to work together with the opposition parties and not be playing political games with such a sensitive issue.''
With a report from CTV's Paul Bliss and files from The Canadian Press
