TORONTO, ON – For the eighth consecutive year, the Ford government has unveiled a provincial budget designed to slowly suffocate the public services Ontarians depend on, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO).
“Year after year, we are offered short-sighted spending plans which prioritize Doug Ford’s vanity projects instead of addressing service cuts and staffing shortages,” said JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO. “Workers, students, and families are told the cupboard is bare, but the premier is more than happy to spend our money on things no one asked for instead of things everyone needs.”
A public opinion poll by Global News’ Focus Ontario released earlier this week found that a majority of Ontarians find Doug Ford is doing a very poor or somewhat poor job on nearly all key areas: from the economy and jobs, to education, healthcare, affordability, and housing.
“Children and families in need of support are languishing on waitlists, ERs and campuses are closing, workers are getting pink slips across the province,” added Laurie Nancekivell, First Vice-President and Treasurer of OPSEU/SEFPO. “Meanwhile, Ontarians are footing the bill for the Doug Ford’s patronage, with billions going towards record government advertising, project overruns, legal losses, and corporate welfare.”
Hornick highlights the $3 billion that Ford’s government found for pre-election rebate cheques, and the public cost of $1.4 billion associated with Ford’s accelerated “alcohol everywhere” plan – money from public coffers which the union says could have met the $2 billion needed to stabilize public hospital finances twice over, stabilized the college system following international student visa reforms for another three years, or filled last year’s $1.5 billion funding shortfall for the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services nearly three times over.
“This isn’t partisan math. This government’s decisions, and their costs, are public record,” said Hornick. “It’s not a question of whether provincial spending went to misguided priorities – the question is whether anyone should accept service cuts while it did.”