In an unexpected rebuke to volunteer firefighters, the provincial Liberal government voted down a bill that would have improved their workers’ compensation coverage on May 14.
At least two township councils in Wellington County had given their support to a private member’s bill sponsored by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.
"I can’t believe the Liberals would stand in the way of fairness for those who protect our communities in rural and small-town Ontario," he said after the vote.
Arnott introduced the bill that would have covered volunteer firefighters with the same "presumptive" workers’ compensation coverage that full-time firefighters have had for two years.
"In simple terms, it means that if a firefighter gets a certain kind of cancer or, say, has a heart attack after a fire call, it is presumed that the illness arose because of their work as firefighters, and they don’t have to prove it," explained Mr. Arnott. "As such, they are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits."
In 2007, the Ontario legislature passed a law covering full-time firefighters in this way. Volunteer firefighters, however, were left out.
During the debate, the NDP and even some Liberal members joined the Progressive Conservatives in speaking in favour of Arnott’s bill. Two years ago, the compensation for full time firefighters had received all party support. Arnott’s bill had received similar support on first reading.
"Thank goodness that the member from Wellington-Halton Hills came forward with this," said NDP member Cheri DiNovo. "Certainly, it is needed, and it’s needed only because the [Liberal] government hasn’t done what it should do with its own legislation."
However, most of the Liberals present voted against the bill, which they defeated by a vote of 23 to 10.
"The defeat of Bill 169 is an affront not only to the volunteer firefighters, but also to rural and small-town Ontario," said Arnott. "The Minister of Labour has promised action for two years.
It now appears the Liberals are against extending the same support to our volunteer firefighters that we’ve given full-time firefighters."
