Senator won't ditch Scout bill

By Jorge Barrera, Ottawa Sun
August 31, 2006

Original article: web

Conservative Ontario Sen. Consiglio Di Nino has no plans to back away from his Scouts Canada bill.

Di Nino said the clamour of opposition coming from a group of dissident Scout leaders has not convinced him to drop Bill S-1001. Some Scout leaders claim the bill will entrench a suffocating corporate structure that will eventually lead to the organization's demise.

Di Nino, who was once Toronto's top Scout, said he has received legal advice to the contrary.

"My folks that are advising me — and the Senate through me — are suggesting that the complaint really has no merit," he said. "If they have comments, let them come (to committee hearings)."

This is the third time Di Nino has sponsored the bill to officially change the organization's name from Boy Scouts of Canada to Scouts Canada — by which it is already commonly known. The bill also spells out the corporate structure of the organization.

Waterloo-area Scout leader Liam Morland, who is secretary for the 700-strong dissident group Scouts eh, said Scouts Canada has pushed for the legislative changes in secret. "They have been as quiet as possible and they haven't sought input into the bill," he said.