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Health care, seniors care, education cuts coming if Ford is re-elected

Patrick D Costa

TORONTO — Instead of fixing what’s broken, Doug Ford is signaling that he’d make at least $2.7 billion in deeper cuts to things like health care, long-term care, home care and education, and do nothing to relieve the cost of living and price of housing.

“Now is the time to invest in better care and significant hiring in health care and education. This is the time to make it easier for everyday families to afford everyday life. People need homes they can afford and fewer big expenses now,” said Horwath. “Families are struggling with long painful waits for health care. Our parents and grandparents are living in horrible conditions in broken long-term care and home care systems. And working folks are stretching every dollar to try to keep up with skyrocketing prices — for homes, food, gas and more.

“But it’s clearer than ever that Doug Ford will keep choosing his buddies over the rest of us, and people will keep paying the price. There’s no plan to make life more affordable in this budget, and Ford is signaling that he plans to cut deeper, pushing health care and education past the breaking point.”

Ford’s budget shows he’d spend $2.7 billion less than inflation over the next three years. That would mean axing tens of thousands of teachers, education workers, nurses, PSWs and other critical employees.

The platform masquerading as a budget also reveals how deep the Ford government cut in 2021-22 — during a global pandemic when people and small businesses needed help the most.

$1.3 billion cut from Education
$685 million cut from Post-Secondary Education
$632 million cut from Children’s and Social Services
$71 million cut from Justice
The Ontario NDP’s plan for raising the minimum wage steadily to $20 per hour will put far more money in minimum wage earners’ pockets. Ford took $6,000 out of minimum wage earners’ pockets by delaying their raise by years — and will only give people as little as a couple dollars with the LIFT program.

The NDP has released a full election platform focused on fixing health care, covering mental helath care, dental care and prescription drugs under OHIP, making it easier to rent or buy a home, and bringing down the cost of everyday life.

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