Wynne Orders Mississauga MPP to Apologize to Parent of Autistic Child

A few days ago, a Mississauga woman received an unsettling visit from Peel police after Liberal MPP Bob Delaney (Mississauga-Streetsville) called in a complaint about her. Now, the much-publicized and emotionally fraught confrontation has prompted Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to demand Delaney apologize to the woman for the incident.

Melanie Palaypayon, the mother of an autistic child, told Delaney's staff that she would be handing out pamphlets outside the MPP's office to protest the government's controversial decision to alter its autism program. Palaypayon, who is concerned about the impact the changes will have on her six-year-old autistic son Xavier, was told by police that she could protest but not touch Delaney's door.

The altercation did not impress Wynne.

"I've already had a conversation with Bob Delaney," the premier said, as reported by The Star. "I'm going to be meeting with him later today and I've asked him to issue an apology and he had already determined that he was going to reach out to the family to set up a meeting. He's just going to come in with his strategy around issuing an apology and let me know whether the meeting has been set up."

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