A staffer working for a PC MPP who helped craft the government’s approach to support children with autism resigned in protest as the strategy was announced Wednesday, calling the plan “indefensible.”

Bruce McIntosh, a former president of the Ontario Autism Coalition and parent to a child impacted by it, worked until Wednesday as legislative assistant to MPP Amy Fee (Kitchener South-Hespeler).

He told CTV News Toronto that as the new approach was drafted, he offered his advice to Fee, who herself has two children with autism, along with Children and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod and others in that ministry.

But after hearing of the minister’s decision, he says his advice was not listened to.

The new policy, aimed at ending a 23,000-child long backlog for provincial support, caps the amount of money provided at $140,000 per child until the age of 18 and prevents those with incomes considered too high from accessing provincial support.

McIntosh said the money could be spent in two years if the child needs intensive therapy, which can often cost up to $80,000 per year.

He told CTV News Toronto he raised concerns about the new approach with the government but would not say if his boss, Fee, agreed with him.

The Premier’s Office says thegovernment met with the Ontario Autism Coalition, Autism Ontario and service providers to craft the new policy.

Fee says she also held a series of provincial roundtables allowing parents to give their input.

MacLeod says the changes were necessary because under the Liberals, as many as 75 per cent of children with autism were without any provincial support at any given time.

Minister MacLeod’s chief of staff, Timothy Porter, says the new policy meets 14 of the 19 demands made by the Ontario Autism Coalition.

“As for Bruce McIntosh - he was informed he could resign in December,” Porter tweeted Wednesday.

McIntosh hand-delivered his resignation to Fee and the minister Wednesday as the new policy was being announced to the public.

“I told her that as a result of what was announced today that I didn’t feel that I could continue in that capacity of working for her,” McIntosh said. “I wasn’t prepared to defend the indefensible.”