Schreiner responds to Auditor General Report

December 4, 2019

Statement on Climate Change

The Ford government is relying on magic math and magic markets in their Made-to-Fail climate plan.

The Auditor General has exposed the government for pulling a fast one with what amounts to a fake plan based on phony math and policies that will increase climate pollution.

Statement on the Environmental Bill of Rights

What started with the firing of the environment watchdog has continued with an attack on our basic environmental rights.

The government is failing to consult with people about regulatory changes that impact our clean air and water, while withholding information experts need to provide meaningful input.

Statement on mental health and addictions

Failure to provide mental health services negatively affects people’s lives, while endangering public and worker safety. Failure to address the mental health and addictions crisis will increase costs and put pressure on our education, health and justice systems.

Wait lists, ER visits, and overdose deaths are escalating quickly and we need to get a handle on this crisis with immediate needs-based funding targeted at youth and vulnerable groups.

The government should lift the cap on overdose prevention sites to allow all communities to provide life-saving, harm-reduction services.

Statement on correctional services

We cannot arrest our way out of the mental health and addictions crisis. Correctional facilities should not be used as a depot for people suffering from poor mental health.

This is not only unethical, but it is unfair to correctional workers who aren’t being given the resources to deliver mental health services in detention centres.

We must treat addiction as a health issue and not a criminal issue.

Statement on nutrition in long-term care

It is shocking that people in long-term care are being denied the nutritious meals they need and fed expired food.

There is no excuse for loading up our fragile loved ones with highly processed, high-sugar, high-sodium meals that fail to meet basic nutritional requirements.

Statement on government advertising

The report confirms that the politically charged campaign to sabotage climate solutions was an abuse of power designed to smear the federal government.

It was a clear violation of Ontario’s old government advertising rules, which should be reinstated and strengthened to include digital advertising.

Statement on hospitals

While the Ford government fiddles with the bureaucracy, frontline problems persist due to chronic hospital overcrowding.

The rate of hospital harm is unacceptable, and will only get worse if we continue to jam patients into hospital hallways rather than caring for them in more appropriate settings.

The answer is to invest in strengthening our health care system, from primary and community care to home and long term care.

Statement on horse racing

It’s very troubling that public dollars are being spent to finance an industry that is not being transparent about its practices and questions remain about who actually benefits from the program.

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