I certainly agree with any show of support for the men and women who serve in the Canadian military and especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our rights and freedoms. In fact, I was pleased when my PC caucus colleague Garfield Dunlop brought forward the idea of creating “Support Our Troops licence plates in the Ontario Legislature six months ago.

But what I can not support is a government cashing in on our troops exploiting the pride Ontario families have in the Canadian Armed Forces. But that is what this licence plate scheme has become.

Officially, the licence plate program is supposed to help veterans. According to a government news release, “a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the licence plates will go to the Canadian Forces Personnel Assistance Fund (CFPAF), which helps current and former members of the Canadian military and their immediate families.”

But what the McGuinty government did not tell you is that for every yellow ribbon licence plate (at $77.75) only a measly $2.25 will go to troops, veterans and their families. For personalized plates sold for $314, the charity will receive just $4.50. If you do the math, this means the charity receives less than three per cent of the money that drivers pay.

When our caucus asked the government about the licence plate program, the minister responsible for the plan dodged questions about how much money the McGuinty government will pocket through this scheme. Whatever the final number is, it still represents a breach of faith with troops, veterans and families.

I don’t want to discourage anyone from purchasing a specialized plate once they become available. Rather, I simply want to caution buyers to read the fine print. Be aware that the money you might think is going to support the troops is instead being diverted to support the spending of the McGuinty government.

The Canadian Forces Personnel Assistance Fund is a worthy charity that deserves our support. To find out how to donate directly to this organization, please call 1-888-753- e-mail cfpaf@cfpsa.com or visit www.sisip.com and click on the CFPAF link in the left column.