NDP MPP Paul Miller was ejected today from the Legislative Assembly after protesting a blatantly misleading answer from Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur on changes to the Temporary Care Assistance (TCA) for grandparents raising their at-risk grandchildren.

“It’s outrageous that the Minister refuses to come clean about policy changes that cut off financial support for at-risk grandchildren being raised by their grandparents. The McGuinty Liberals have launched an attack on our province’s most vulnerable and then turned their backs on them,” said Miller.

Before being ejected, Miller had demanded an explanation from the Minister about a policy change that cuts off financial support for grandchildren being raised by their grandparents.

In June, Miller met with Meilleur and asked her to enforce her Ministry’s policy equally across the province by directing all municipalities to accept grandparents raising grandchildren to the TCA program.

Instead, the McGuinty Liberals rewrote the rules giving all municipalities grounds to deny grandparents financial support. Adding insult to injury, the Minister suggested affected grandparents could just apply for welfare.

“These grandparents are trying to do the right thing, but instead of helping them, the McGuinty Liberals are driving them further into poverty. A government that likes to talk about tackling poverty is instead sentencing vulnerable children and their grandparents to certain economic suffering. The government’s approach is heartless and appalling,” said Miller.