DEC Notes

Information for OPSEU members at
Driver Examination Centres,
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Issue #2 October 10, 2001

Debate on MTO Privatization Continues

Bill 65, the MTO Privatization Bill, is once again back on the agenda at Queen's Park. The government brought the bill back for Second Reading debate Oct. 1. OPSEU restated our opposition to the Bill in a press release Oct. 2.

OPSEU President Leah Casselman said "Despite all the lessons the world has learned about safety and security issues, this government persists in its agenda as if nothing has changed. This is a scary thought for Ontarians," Casselman said. "We are very concerned about what happens when confidential public information falls into private hands. Now more than ever, our public services should stay public."

We've also been in constant contact with the Liberals and NDP, and they've been helping us out with questions in the house. The Liberals are also presenting the OPSEU petitions opposing this bill.

Here are some debate excerpts from the opposition parties: Sean Conway, MPP, Liberal:
"The bill sets out . . . how privacy (is)going to be protected. I don't believe it for a moment. And you know why I don't believe it? I remember the POSO (Province of Ontario Savings Office) example of two years ago. We as a Legislature did nothing. In fact, people laughed about the fact that 50,000 provincial bank accounts were wrongly, and I believe illegally, exposed to eyes that ought not to have seen them. Was there any retribution? Was there any accountability for that? Nothing...

We have a case going in Quebec at the present time. You'll all remember the journalist Michel Auger at le Journal de Montr'al who was shot in the parking lot in a gangland way. In the last press report I saw, a key component in how the gang figured out who he was was that they accessed his driver's registration data. . . . Just a very recent reminder of how important and valuable this information is and what can happen to it when it's in the wrong hands."

Gilles Bisson, MPP, NDP: " Let's look at what has happened in the driver examination system. Most members in this House won't know this, and I didn't know until I went out and did the research: it used to be a private system

. Did you know that prior to 1961 the driver examination system in the province of Ontario was run entirely by the private system? They did it for a number of years. But there was such a problem with the system that the then Conservative government of the day moved to put it into the public system. Why? Because there was a real scam going on where, for example, if people wanted to go get a driver's licence test and there was a lineup, "Give us a little bit more money and maybe you can pass ahead of the line."

Yes, grease the wheel and maybe you'll get ahead of the line. The whole issue of standards, of why a person should get a driver's licence - and Timmins was different than what you would get if you were getting it in Ottawa or Toronto - they were not maintaining (the public or provincial standards). . .

In the research that I've done, prior to 1961 the system was in the private sector, and it was the Conservative government of the day in 1961 that moved it to the public system."

MEDIA RELEASE - October 2, 2001

Drive to Privatize could be Hazardous, warns Casselman

TORONTO - The Ontario government should halt its plans for privatization of driver licensing and examination services because of potential risks to public safety and security, says Leah Casselman, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).

The Conservatives, who plan to privatize driver licensing and examination services over the next year, have scheduled second reading on the required legislation this week.

"Despite all the lessons the world has learned about safety and security issues, this government persists in its agenda as if nothing has changed. This is a scary thought for Ontarians," Casselman said. "We are very concerned about what happens when confidential public information falls into private hands. Now more than ever, our public services should stay public."

OPSEU's concerns about this Bill are twofold. First, driver examinations must be conducted competently and professionally so that the public can be sure drivers are passing exams on merit.

The second concern is that driver licensing offices have access to sensitive information. If such information falls into the wrong hands it could pose a threat not only to personal security, but to the safety of society as a whole.

Casselman said women and families hiding from abusive ex-partners could be put at risk and organized criminals could use it to track down their rivals. "Indeed, terrorists could use this information to create false identification papers. Given this government's record on protecting public privacy, Ontarians should be very, very frightened of the potential dangers of privatizing a service that deals with such private and personal files," said Casselman.

Both Ontario opposition parties oppose privatization of these services. Liberal MPP Pat Hoy has presented a petition this week in the Legislature, asking that privatization of these services be scrapped. NDP MPP Peter Kormos has also said, "Our streets and highways will be more dangerous places if the Conservatives are allowed to privatize driver examinations."

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For further information: David Cox, OPSEU Communications 416-443-8888 x 314 www.opseu.org; Communications Division, Public Affairs Unit (ext. 675) 416-443-8888 or 1-800-268-7376