Ontario Conservatives working to rebuild trust amid more autism rallies

Advocates demanding help for families affected by autism are urging Conservative MPPs to make more changes.

Protests were held across Ontario and in Ottawa Tuesday, even after the new Minister for Children, Community and Social Services announced the Ford government is back-tracking from previous controversial changes, and shifting the funding program back to a needs-based approach. 

Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts, who also works as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, said he is optimistic the Conservative's revised program will address parent's lingering concerns.

“Frankly, I'd like to see us not have to re-have this discussion every four or five years, every eight years. So getting that balance right is definitely the challenge right now. I think April 20 gives us enough room to make sure that we get this right, that we can get this implimented and we can start getting families in service, while recognizing that urgency piece as well.”

Roberts added that his government is also taking action to rebuild trust. 

“For the past six months I've been taking meetings with families on the spectrum, with kids on the spectrum,” he explained on 1310 NEWS' Ottawa Today. “I've been travelling around the province and I'm going to keep doing that. Today, I know there are protests happening around the city. I decided to throw open my office doors and I held a meet and greet for anyone in the community that wanted to come in and speak directly to me to ask questions.”

The previous minister on the file, Lisa McLeod, had changed the funding formula to tie it to age, rather than the needs of children dealing with autism, which sparked months of protests and outrage from parents.