The Ontario Health Coalition is holding a mass citizen-run referendum, with the goal of collecting a million votes across the province to stop the privatization of public hospitals.Health Coalitions are organizing voting stations outside grocery stores, local corner stores, coffee shops, at Legions and community centres and in every busy part of our communities that they can. More than a thousand voting stations will be open across Ontario, workplace votes will take place, and online voting will be available on the website
publichospitalvote.caImportant Dates
May 2: Online voting beginsMay 8-19: Workplace voting takes placeMay 26-27: Community voting takes placeMay 31: Delivery of ballots to Queen’s Park (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m)
Ballot question
“Do you want our public hospital services to be privatized to for-profit hospitals and clinics?”Vote options: “Yes” or “No”
Who can vote?
All Ontario residents who are aged 16 or older. You must take a pledge to only vote once and on that pledge form, which is separate from your vote, give your address to help ensure the integrity of the vote.
Why is it important to get out and vote?
The Ford government has brought in new legislation (Bill 60) to significantly expand the privatization of public hospital services. They have used their majority to vote down all recommended amendments to the legislation and are doing the same to pass this bill.Bill 60 will:
- Give the government power to deregulate certain health professions by making changes to the definitions of Medical Laboratory Technologists, Medical Radiation Technologists, Registered Respiratory Therapists, Physicians, Registered Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses.
- Bring in an unlimited number of private clinics with licenses to provide OHIP-covered services.
- Pull ‘easy’ cases to the private sector, leaving a heavier load on the public system.
- Worsen the staffing crisis and wait times in our public healthcare system by pulling funding and staff from it.
The loss of these surgeries and diagnostic services – and the staff and funding that go with them — would be devastating to all local public hospitals and would gut the services that remain in many of the medium and small hospitals.This month, let’s get out and vote to fight back against the privatization of Ontario’s public hospitals!
