TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ford\u2019s Conservative government tabled their Fall Economic Statement today, outlining their priorities for the months ahead. The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) says the update offers no real gains for Ontarians who are feeling the pain of the ongoing health care, housing, and affordability crises.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s update included Ford\u2019s scheme to dole out one-time $200 cheques to even the wealthiest of Ontarians,\u201d said Laura Walton, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. \u201cThis one-time payment is clearly a ploy to court voters in advance of an early election, not to address the real issues people are facing as they try to make ends meet each month.\u201d<\/p>\n
The one-time $200 rebate program will cost the province $3 billion. The OFL has compiled a list of ways the province could spend $3 billion to address critical issues Ontarians are facing:<\/p>\n
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- Compensation for 35,875 new front-line nurses for one full year<\/li>\n
- 5000 new long-term care beds to ease hallway healthcare<\/li>\n
- Access to services for 54,000 children waiting for Autism Services<\/li>\n
- Recruit and retain Early Childhood Educators to fill the expected shortage of 8,500 ECEs by 2026<\/li>\n
- Fill the funding shortfall for 49 of Ontario\u2019s 53 Children\u2019s Aid Societies, which face a total budget shortfall of $67 million this year<\/li>\n
- Increase rates to recipients of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cInstead of addressing urgent problems facing our province, the Ford government has repeatedly used government money \u2013 our money \u2013 to privilege themselves, donors, and the wealthiest Ontarians,\u201d said Walton, \u201cfrom the $225 million spent to break the Beer Store contract, to a multi-million-dollar luxury spa, to $4.3 billion to fight workers in court over Bill 124.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s update offered no information on what the Ford government is doing to recruit and retain frontline health care workers or end hallway medicine and provided no progress or completion timelines for infrastructure projects. After adjusting for inflation and population growth, the planned program spending released in today\u2019s statement is $1,093 less for each Ontarian by 2026.<\/p>\n
Walton added: \u201cIt\u2019s clear this government is only thinking about the next election cycle, not about building the Ontario we need.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ontario Federation of Labour<\/strong>\u00a0represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit\u00a0http:\/\/www.ofl.ca\/<\/a>\u00a0and follow @OFLabour on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and X<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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