FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3 March 2020

(Queen’s Park) – Today in the Legislature, Randy Hillier (Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston) questioned the Premier on funding changes that would mean the end of a very successful pilot project that was undertaken in Lanark County.

Funding from the Solicitor General was provided to the Lanark County OPP to establish a Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) which saw a mental health nurse ride with police. 

“Lanark County’s Situation Table, which deals with individuals in crisis, saw a 45% reduction in referrals to them as a result of the pilot,” Hillier told the Minister. 

“Both the Situation Table and Lanark County Mental Health have carefully tracked outcomes; they are eager to share the benefits of this program, and are optimistic for the continuation of its success. Instead, they’ve been told the funding for the program is eliminated, and I understand no evaluation of the program has ever been done,” Hillier added.

The Premier redirected the question to the Solicitor General, and stunningly, the Solicitor General ignored the fact that the pilot had been funded through her Ministry’s Proceeds of Crime Frontline Policing Grant, instead she misled the House that this was an “operational decision” by the OPP.

“The Minister misled the House in her reply,” Hillier stated after Question Period. “This was not an ‘operational decision’ by the OPP,” Hiller continued. “Furthermore, this is one more example of a Minister and a government making decisions without thinking, much like we have seen on other occasions. It's time for this government to start thinking first and stop fumbling public policy.”

You can view Hillier’s original question and the reply here.

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Randy Hillier, MPP
Queen’s Park 416-325-2244
Perth Constituency 613-267-8239
[email protected]