Ford suspends caucus member amid autism debate

Premier Doug Ford has suspended one of his caucus members, after what he calls disrespectful comments made to parents of children with autism but MPP Randy Hillier says his words were directed at a member of the NDP caucus and not the parents.

Parents have been protesting the new autism funding program since it was announced earlier this month. On Wednesday, their voices rang through the halls of the legislature.

“We are failing kids across the province. Tens of thousands of kids. Shame on you.”

Some parents who were there to protest the new program say eastern Ontario MPP Randy Hillier said yada, yada, yada.

Soon after, Premier Ford issued a statement saying he’d suspended Hillier indefinitely from the Tory caucus.

“I think it’s maybe not the words, necessarily, but it’s the nature of the topic. It’s a very serious topic, we know the emotional feelings surrounding this topic and it’s something that was a bit flippant.” House leader, Todd Smith.

But Hillier says his comments were directed at the NDP, which he says is exploiting families, specifically Hamilton mountain MPP and NDP critic Monique Taylor.

“If anybody believed that I was saying that to families, I would deeply apologize for that.” Randy Hillier.

Taylor issued a statement that reads in part: “the families were hurt by the dismissive and cruel nature of Randy Hillier’s heckle, whoever it was directed at, but families are far more hurt by Mr. Ford’s decision to cut their children’s services.”

The PC’s plan would give funding for treatment directly to families, instead of regional service providers but some parents are worried the amount and quality of their children’s treatment will be sacrificed.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath has called for social services minister Lisa Macleod to resign but Macleod continues to defend changes to the province’s autism program.